Amplitude of Accommodation among Students of a Malaysian Private University as Assessed Using Subjective and Objective Techniques

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to establish baseline data for amplitude of accommodation (AA) measured using both subjective and objective techniques in students at a private Malaysian university.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted including 34 healthy participants with a mean age of 22.26 ± 1.88 years. AA was measured using dynamic retinoscopy and the push-up, pull-away, modified push-up, and minus-lens techniques.

RESULTS: The mean AA scores for the push-up, pull-away, minus-lens, and modified push-up techniques and dynamic retinoscopy were 11.38 ± 2.03, 10.35 ± 1.64, 9.24 ± 1.18, 8.26 ± 1.44, and 7.2 ± 1.0 diopters, respectively. No AA measurements showed significant difference among ethnicities (Chinese, Malay, and Indian). This study suggested that AA obtained using push-up (p = 0.005) and pull-away (p = 0.017) methods and dynamic retinoscopy (p = 0.041) were significantly different according to sex. No significant difference was observed in AA for the minus-lens (p = 0.051) and modified push-up (p = 0.216) techniques by sex. A moderately negative correlation was found between AA and age for the push-up (r = -0.434, p = 0.010), pull-away (r = -0.412, p = 0.016), and minus-lens (r = -0.509, p = 0.002) techniques and dynamic retinoscopy (r = -0.497, p = 0.003). A weak negative correlation was found between age and AA measured using a modified push-up technique (r = -0.393, p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS: Mean AA was highest for the push-up technique, followed by the pull-away technique, the minus-lens technique, the modified push up technique, and dynamic retinoscopy. The push-up and pull-away methods and dynamic retinoscopy showed a significant difference in measurement of AA between sexes.