Abstract
Background: In recent years, there was a significant increase in myopia incidence worldwide. However, it is still not clear how it affects Spanish children. Since 2016, this research team analyzed myopia prevalence and risk in 9668 children aged between 5 and 7 years. It was shown that the prevalence rates increased from 16.8% in 2016 to 20.4% in 2019. The objective of this study is to update the prevalence rate of myopia in Spain in 2020 and analyze the risk and prevention factors of myopia. Methods: The participants underwent an optometric examination, and a questionnaire on their lifestyle, family history, and geographical origin was carried out. Finally, data were analyzed using the SPSS version 27 program. Results: 1601 children from various Autonomous Communities of Spain were examined. In 2020 the myopia rates did not increase compared to 2019 (p < 0.05), although the number of hyperopes decreased and the number of emmetropes increased. Regarding age, the prevalence of myopia increased progressively over the years (p < 0.001). There was no association between gender and myopia (p > 0.05). There was a link between the time spent in near vision and family history with the prevalence of myopia (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia in Spain in children between 5 and 7 years old increased significantly between 2016 and 2020.
Highlights
Myopia is the most common refractive error worldwide
A recent estimate suggests that visual impairment among preschool children will increase by 26% by 2060 and that uncorrected refractive error will account for 69% of cases [9]
Of the total number of participants, the time spent in near vision according to the classification used was as follows: in 16.5%, low, in 41.7%, moderate, and in 41.9%, high (>3 h/day)
Summary
Myopia is the most common refractive error worldwide. It is estimated that 22.9% of the world population is myopic, of whom 2.7% have high myopia [1,2,3,4]. When analysing the impact of myopia on the quality of life, it was seen that visual impairment is associated with a significant reduction in activities of daily life, intense visual tasks, and a decreased level of participation in society. This can harm education, employment, child development, mental health, and functional ability in older people. There was a significant increase in myopia incidence worldwide It is still not clear how it affects Spanish children. Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia in Spain in children between 5 and 7 years old increased significantly between 2016 and 2020
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