PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of @entity2516 and their distribution according to age and sex in a Brazilian population. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study involved 7654 Brazilian inhabitants of nine municipalities of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, between March 2004 and July 2005. @entity1 aged >1  year were selected using a random, stratified, household cluster sampling technique, excluding individuals with previous refractive or @entity231 surgery. @entity1714 was defined as @entity6110 ( @entity6110 )  <=-0.5D, high @entity1714 as @entity6110  <=-3.0D, @entity3467 as @entity6110 >= +0.5D, high @entity3467 as @entity6110 >= +3D, @entity940 as  <=-0.5DC and @entity9340 as >= 1.0D difference between eyes. Age, sex, complaints and a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction test were collected and analysed using descriptive analysis, univariate and multivariate methods. RESULTS: The prevalence of @entity940 was 59.7%, @entity3467 33.8% and @entity1714 was 25.3%. @entity940 had a progressive increase with age. With-the-rule (WTR) axes of @entity940 were more frequently observed in the young @entity1 and the against-the-rule (ATR) axes were more frequent in the older subjects. The onset of @entity1714 occurred more frequently between the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. @entity9340 showed a prevalence of 13.2% (95% CI 12.4-13.9; p  <  0.001). There was an association between age and all types of @entity2516 and @entity3467 was also associated with sex. @entity3467 was associated with WTR axes (odds ratio 0.73; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8; p  <  0.001) and @entity1714 with ATR axes (odds ratio 0.66; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8; p  <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: @entity940 was the most prevalent @entity2516 in a Brazilian population. There was a strong relationship between age and all @entity2516 and between @entity3467 and sex. WTR @entity940 was more frequently associated with @entity3467 and ATR @entity940 with @entity1714 . The vast majority of @entity1 had low-grade @entity2516 , which favours planning aimed at correction of @entity2516 in the population.

XXXX in a Brazilian population: age and sex distribution.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'Participants'] @entity940 :: ('MESH:D001251', 'Disease') :: ['astigmatism', 'Astigmatism'] @entity231 :: ('MESH:D002386', 'Disease') :: ['cataract'] @entity2516 :: ('MESH:D012030', 'Disease') :: ['refractive error', 'refractive errors'] @entity6110 :: ('MESH:D017029', 'Disease') :: ['SE', 'spherical equivalent'] @entity3467 :: ('MESH:D006956', 'Disease') :: ['hyperopia', 'Hyperopia'] @entity9340 :: ('MESH:D015858', 'Disease') :: ['anisometropia', 'Anisometropia'] @entity1714 :: ('MESH:D009216', 'Disease') :: ['Myopia', 'myopia']
@entity2516 :: (MESH:D012030,Disease) :: ['Refractive errors']
