Prevalence and risk factors of myopia in adult Korean population: Korea national health and nutrition examination survey 2013-2014 (KNHANES VI).

Sang Beom Han,Hee Kyung Yang,Sue K Park,Jieun Jang,Jeong-Min Hwang,Der-Chong Tsai

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211204

Sang Beom Han, Hee Kyung Yang + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211204

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Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of myopia in adult Korean population.MethodsPopulation-based cross-sectional data of 3,398 subjects aged 19 to 49 years was obtained using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014 (KNHANES VI). Data, including refractive errors and potential risk factors were analyzed. The prevalence and risk factors of myopia, low myopia, and high myopia—defined as a spherical equivalent (SEQ) ≤ -0.5 diopters (D), -6.0 D < SEQ <-0.5 D, and SEQ ≤ -6.0 D, respectively—were evaluated.ResultsThe prevalence of myopia and high myopia were 70.6 (standard error (SE), ±1.1)% and 8.0 (SE, ±0.6)%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, younger age, higher education (≥12 years), parental myopia, lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration (<9 ng/mL), longer time spent on near work (≥3 hours/day), and higher white blood cell (WBC) count (5–8.9 x 103) were associated with increased prevalence of both myopia and high myopia. Serum 25(OH)D concentration of ≥ 9 ng/ml was significantly associated with decreased prevalence of high myopia in participants with near work of ≥3 hours/day, although the effect was not significant in myopia and low myopia.ConclusionsThe prevalence of myopia and high myopia in Korean adults was substantially high, which increased with decreasing age. In addition to parental myopia, the serum 25(OH)D concentration, near work and inflammation reflected by WBC counts may be associated with myopia.

Highlights

Myopia is one of the most common ophthalmologic disorders and a major public health concern worldwide [1,2,3]
The prevalence of myopia and high myopia in Korean adults was substantially high, which increased with decreasing age
We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of myopia in a representative Korean adult population using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES), which is a series of nationwide cross-sectional health examination and survey conducted to monitor the general health and nutritional status of Koreans by the Division of Chronic Disease Surveillance, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) [1]

Summary

Introduction

Myopia is one of the most common ophthalmologic disorders and a major public health concern worldwide [1,2,3]. The prevalence of myopia of -0.5 D in East Asians 40 years was 26.2%–41.8% [7,8,9,10], which is substantially higher compared with Caucasians. It was reported to be as high as 79.3% in Singapore military conscripts aged 17–19 years, and 86.1% in Taiwan conscripts aged 18–24 years [5, 11]. This phenomenon was observed in Korea, and the prevalence of myopia in a population of 19-year-old males was 96.5% and 93.3% in urban and rural areas of Korea, respectively [12, 13]

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