Body height and ocular dimensions in the adult population in rural Central India. The Central India eye and medical study

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To investigate associations between anthropomorphic parameters and ocular dimensions in a typical rural society untouched by the effects of urbanization. Methods The Central India Eye and Medical Study performed in rural Central India included 4711 participants aged 30 or more years. The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical examination. Results After controlling for age, gender, level of education, and body mass index (BMI), taller subjects were more likely to have larger eyes with a longer axial length, lower corneal refractive power, deeper anterior chambers, and longer vitreous cavity . Central corneal thickness (P=0.97) and lens thickness (P=0.08) were not significantly associated with body height. Subjects with a higher BMI had shorter globes, flatter corneas and thicker corneas, thicker lenses and longer vitreous cavities. Body height as compared with the BMI had a stronger influence on the ocular biometric data. After correcting for age, gender, level of education and axial length, for each increase in body height by 10 cm or for each increase in BMI by one unit, the refractive error significantly (P<0.001) increased by 0.23 diopters and by 0.40 diopters (P<0.001), respectively. Conclusion In the rural population of Central India without urbanization associated myopization, body height and size of the eye was associated with each other. Subjects with a higher body mass index had shorter eyes, flatter and thicker corneas, and thicker lenses. Since the occurrence of some ocular diseases depends of eye size and refractive error, the results may be helpful for screening examinations and for elucidating pathogenic associations.