Abstract
BackgroundThe prevalence of myopia has increased rapidly worldwide over the past few decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors for myopia in elementary and junior high school students in Chia-Yi, Taiwan.MethodsWe included 5417 students in total from Grade 1–6 (n = 4763) and Grade 7–9 (n = 654) from Chia Yi County in this population-based study. The students underwent noncycloplegic autorefractometry and an interview with a structured questionnaire.ResultsFor this study population, the prevalence of myopia and high myopia was 42.0 and 2.0%, respectively, revealing a statistically significant increase with increasing age (p < 0.05). Junior high school students (aged 13–15) showed a greater prevalence of myopia than elementary school students (aged 7–12) (55.8% vs. 40.1%, respectively, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that associated factors of myopia were body height (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.06), body mass index (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–1.00), and ocular alignment (horizontal heterophoria vs. orthophoria, OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 2.08–2.70; tropia vs. orthophoria, OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.50–2.52) for elementary school students, whereas in junior high school students, they included body height (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04) and ocular alignment (heterophoria vs. orthophoria, OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.56–3.10).ConclusionsThis study provided epidemiological data on myopia in rural school students in Chia-Yi, Taiwan, and demonstrated the association between heterophoria and myopia. Correction of refractive errors in the students remained a challenge.
Highlights
The prevalence of myopia has increased rapidly worldwide over the past few decades
Body height (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.05–1.06), body mass index (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–1.00), and ocular alignment were significant factors for myopia in the elementary school group after adjustment for confounding factors. (Table 3) Only body height (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07–1.23) and ocular alignment were
In the junior high school group, body height and ocular alignment were significant factors for myopia, and only ocular alignment was significant for high myopia
Summary
The prevalence of myopia has increased rapidly worldwide over the past few decades. In Taiwan, the prevalence rates of myopia in elementary school children aged 7 years were 5.8, 3.0, 6.6, 12.0, 20.0, 19.6, and 17.9% in 1983, 1986 1990, 1995, 2000, Lai et al BMC Ophthalmology (2020) 20:320. The Ministry of Education in Taiwan launched a myopia prevention programme for young children in 2009. This intervention covers preventive measures, such as outdoor activities for 2 h every day, classroom clearance between classes for outdoor activities, 10 min of disruption in near vision every 30 min, vision screening by a school nurse twice a year, and cycloplegic refractometry to screen high- risk groups for myopia. Myopia prevention is a challenge [8]
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