Некоторые особенности развития миопии у детей школьного возраста

Abstract

Purpose. To assess the risk factors for the development and progression of myopia in children attending schools in a large city and to determine the possibilities of its prevention on an outpatient basis. Material and Methods. The study includes 106 children attending schools in St. Petersburg (60 boys and 46 girls, 56.6% and 43.4%, respectively). The observation period was 3 years. All examinations were supplemented by questioning the parents of the examined children. Results. Most often, myopia was detected during a routine examination at school (58.5%). Primary visits more often took place in the city diagnostic centre (34%) and in private medical centres (34%). At the same time, families with one child more often visited the district polyclinic (50%), less often – the city diagnostic centre (43.7%), families with two children more often came to private medical centres (50%). When analyzing the questionnaire, it was revealed that a number of questions have prognostic significance for assessing the course of myopia. The subsequent analysis of these questions identified the most significant risk factors for the development and progression of myopia in school-age children. These factors were physical activity of a child and regulated daily routine. The study investigated the incidence of myopia in children with comorbid conditions. Pathology of the musculoskeletal system prevailed (42.3%) in children with mild myopia, while pathology of ENT organs prevailed in children with moderate myopia (33.3%), posture disorders (27.7%) and ARVI (22.2%). An analysis of the prognostic value of risk factors for the development and progression of myopia showed that the only statistically reliable factors were disorders of the child‘s daily routine and the absence of a permanent ophthalmologist. Conclusion. The primary detection of myopia in school children is more frequent (58.5%) during preventive examinations at school. Questionnaires from parents provide additional information on the risk factors for myopia development and progression in their children. Myopia disorders and lack of observation by a «permanent» ophthalmologist have the greatest impact on myopia, which should naturally be taken into account when working with children and their parents. Key words: myopia, progression, risk factors, questionnaires, schoolchildren.