May 2008
Volume 49, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   May 2008
Parental Factors Associated With Strabismus in a Population-Based Sample of 12-Year Old Australian Children
S. H. Sharbini; J. J. Wang; G. Burlutsky; K. A. Rose; P. Mitchell; Sydney Childhood Eye Study; Sydney Myopia Study
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • S. H. Sharbini
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Discipline of Orthoptics,
  • J. J. Wang
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millenium Institute,
    Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  • G. Burlutsky
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millenium Institute,
  • K. A. Rose
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Discipline of Orthoptics,
  • P. Mitchell
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millenium Institute,
  • Sydney Childhood Eye Study
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • Sydney Myopia Study
    University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  S.H. Sharbini, None; J.J. Wang, None; G. Burlutsky, None; K.A. Rose, None; P. Mitchell, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support  Australian NHRMC grant 253732
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science May 2008, Vol.49, 1807. doi:
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      S. H. Sharbini, J. J. Wang, G. Burlutsky, K. A. Rose, P. Mitchell, Sydney Childhood Eye Study, Sydney Myopia Study; Parental Factors Associated With Strabismus in a Population-Based Sample of 12-Year Old Australian Children. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2008;49(13):1807.

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Abstract

Purpose: : To examine the prevalence and associated factors of strabismus in a population-based random cluster sample of 12-year old students.

Methods: : The Sydney Myopia Study randomly selected 21 secondary schools, stratified by socio-economic status (SES); 2353 children aged 12 years (75.3% response rate) were examined. Cycloplegic autorefraction, LogMAR visual acuity, cover tests (cover/uncover alternate, prism bar) at near and distance were performed. Medical and perinatal histories were obtained using parental questionnaires. Parental home-ownership was used to represent SES. Ethnicity was assigned only when both parents were from the same ethnic group.

Results: : Strabismus was detected in 63 children (2.7%), including 28 (44.4%) with esotropia and 35 (55.6%) with exotropia. There was no significant gender difference in the prevalence of strabismus (3.2% in girls; 2.2% in boys, p=0.1). There was also no ethnicity difference in the prevalence of strabismus (2.6 % in European Caucasian; 3.7% in East Asian and 2.1% in children with other ethnicities, p=0.4), nor in the prevalence of esotropia (1.4%, 0.85% and 0.84%, respectively) or exotropia (1.1%, 2.8% and 1.3%, respectively, p=0.1). Mean birthweight was not significantly different between children who had strabismus (3269 g, SD, 726.7) and those without (3352g, SD 563.2, p=0.4). Children with exotropia had slightly lower mean birthweight (3144g, SD 593.1), significantly different from that for children without strabismus, even after adjusting for ethnicity (p=0.048). The prevalence of strabismus was higher in children from low SES families (no home ownership, 4.2%) than those from higher SES families (2.4%, odds ratio, OR, 2.1, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.1-3.9) and in children with a history of maternal smoking (4.7%) than those without this exposure (2.5%, OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.4), after adjusting for ethnicity and birthweight. In a final model adjusting for birthweight, ethnicity, SES and history of maternal smoking, the associations between strabismus and low SES (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.96-3.5) and maternal smoking history (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.85-3.82) became marginally non-significant. Birthweight was no longer significant in the final model.

Conclusions: : Our study shows that smoking by mothers during pregnancy and low familial SES may increase the likelihood of strabismus.

Keywords: strabismus • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment 
© 2008, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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