Prevalence and Associated Factors of Myopia in Primary School Students in Chaoyang District of Beijing, China

Abstract

Purpose: To study the prevalence of myopia and its associated factors in primary school students in Beijing and formulate appropriate policies to prevent myopia.

Methods: A school-based prevalence survey on myopia was conducted in Chaoyang district, Beijing from September 2011 to October 2011. A total of 4249 students were included with 2201 boys and 2048 girls. Their age ranged from 5 to 14 years. The refractive status of each student was measured with an autorefractometer under cycloplegia and checked with retinoscopy.

Results: Myopia was the most common type of refractive error. It was found in 36.71%±0.74% of the children. The prevalence of myopia in this sample was significantly higher for girls(38.57%±1.08%) than for boys(34.98%±1.02%). The prevalence of myopia increased with age increasing. Among children ≥11 years of age, the prevalence of myopia was greatest at 67.46%±1.82%. Independent risk factors for myopia included female gender, increasing age, parents myopia history, incorrect reading posture, distance between eyes and books less than 20cm, smaller font size of extracurricular reading books vs textbooks, learning time at home for 4 hours or above every day, continuous learning time more than one hour every time. Age and parents myopia history were the most important risk factors for myopia.

Conclusions: More efforts should be conducted on health education of vision and to make appropriate policies to prevent myopia from the childhood.

Keywords: 605 myopia