Abstract
Purpose :
A prospective study investigating the ten year change in mean spherical refractive error and proportion of myopes in a cohort of UK children.
Methods :
Participants were children aged 6-7 years and 12-13 years living in Birmingham, UK. At baseline (phase 1) cycloplegic refractive error was determined using binocular open-field autorefraction (Shin-Nippon SRW 5000, cyclopentolate 1%). Participants were defined by spherical equivalent refraction (SER) as myopic SER ≤-0.50D, emmetropic -0.50D<SER<+2.00 or hyperopic SER≥+2.00D. Ten year follow-up (phase 2) refractive error was assessed from optometry practice prescription records based on objective and subjective refraction.
Results :
All participants who took part in Phase 1 (n= 655) were eligible to participate in Phase 2. From Phase 1, overall participation in Phase 2 was 41% for the younger cohort and 29% for the older cohort. The average time interval between phase 1 and phase 2 was 10.6 years (range 10.2 to 11.0 years). Mean change in SER for the younger cohort was -2.25 SD 1.87D (range -0.25 to -5.37D). Mean change in SER for the older cohort was -2.12 SD 2.25D range (-0.37 to -4.87D). The proportion of myopia at Phase 1 was 9% in the younger cohort and 29% in the older cohort, this increased to 31% and 38% respectively for phase 2.
Conclusions :
A myopic shift was evident in the mean refractive error for both cohorts indicating both progression of myopia and individuals becoming myopic over this time period.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.