Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effect of parents' myopia on their children among Korean population using a nationally representative survey.
Methods :
The present study used the ophthalmologic examination dataset of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV and V, which was performed between 2008 and 2012. A total 3,568 children at age 5 to 18 years and 4,384 parents in 2,192 two-generation families with available ophthalmologic dataset were included. Individuals with any ocular trauma, surgery history or cataract affecting refractive errors were excluded. Generalized estimating equation models were conducted to assess the association and interaction of refractive errors among children and their parents.
Results :
The mean spherical equivalent (SE) of fathers, mothers and children was -1.41±1.92 (-11.64 to +3.31) diopters (D), -1.58±2.05 (-15.38 to +2.56) D, and -1.82 ±2.22 (-15.43 to +4.88 ) D, respectively. The prevalence of children's myopia was significantly higher when children are getting older (adjusted prevalence ratio [PR], 1.3469; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3130-1.3817), their fathers have myopia (adjusted PR, 1.5832; 95% CI, 1.1912-2.1042), and their mothers have myopia (adjusted PR, 1.5600; 95% CI, 1.1981-2.0312). No additive or multiplicative interaction was observed between father's and mother's myopia in chlidren's myopia. Regarding high myopia ( SE < -6.0 D), the prevalence was higher when children are getting older (adjusted PR, 1.3273; 95% CI, 1.2709-1.3862), their fathers have myopia (adjusted PR, 2.7019; 95% CI, 1.3424-5.4384), and their mothers have myopia (adjusted PR, 4.1722; 95% CI, 2.3951-7.2680). There was no effect of interaction of parents' high myopia in children's high myopia.
Conclusions :
The present study revealed significant familial concordance of refractive errors among Korean children and their parents. No additive or multiplicative interaction was observed between myopia in father and mother on chlidren's myopia.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.