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Myopia prevalence increases with age in Canadian school children
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Researchers found myopia prevalence to be 6.0% in children ages 6 through 8 years, which increased to 28.9% in ages 11 through 13 years, in this pilot study of 173 school children.
The study included up to two visits: if a spherical equivalent refraction of at least -0.50 D was found in at least one eye at visit 1, participants were invited to visit 2. Mean participant age was 9.8 years.
Across the two visits, patients or their parents were given a questionnaire on family history of refractive corrections and child activities. A noncycloplegic refraction, cycloplegic refraction, visual acuity with subjective refraction and ocular biometry was conducted, at least once, across both visits.
Researchers defined myopia as having spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of at least -0.50 D in at least one eye, according to the study. As a result, 17.5% of the total study population was myopic.
Those from 11 to 13 years old had a higher prevalence of myopia (28.9%) compared to those 6 to 8 years (6.0%). Females had a higher prevalence of myopia in both age groups. East and South Asians had higher prevalence compared to other races, the researchers wrote.
From the 29 children who were myopic in the study, 10 were uncorrected prior to the study.
Researchers identified risk factors based on the questionnaires completed by parents. For one additional hour of outdoor time per week, the odds of the child having myopia was lowered by 14.3%. If one parent is myopic, the child is 2.52 times more likely to develop myopia compared to a child with two nonmyopic parents.
Researchers found axial length to be negatively associated with SER, and axial length increased from the younger group of children to the older group.
“Halting this increase in axial length appears to be a natural target for therapy intervention to slow the development of myopia,” the researchers wrote. – by Abigail Sutton
Source: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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