Refraction and Ocular Biometry of Preschool Children in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Purpose : To investigate the refraction and ocular biometry characteristics and to examine the prevalence of refractive errors in preschool children aged 3 to 6 years in Shanghai, China.

Methods : A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Jiading and Xuhui District, Shanghai in 2013. We randomly selected 7 kindergartens in Jiading District and 10 kindergartens in Xuhui District, with a probability proportionate to size. A total of 4615 Chinese preschool children were included. The children underwent comprehensive eye examinations, including cycloplegic refraction and biometric measurements. Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism were defined as SE ≤ -0.50D, SE ≥+2.00 D, and cylindrical diopters ≤ -1.00D

Results : The mean spherical equivalent (SE) for 3 to 6 year old children was +1.20 D (standard deviation [SD] 1.05), and the mean axial length (AL) was 22.29 mm (SD 0.73). The overall prevalence of myopia and astigmatism was 3.7% and 18.3%, respectively. No difference in prevalence of astigmatism was found across age groups. There was a statistically significant association between lower cylindrical diopters and higher spherical diopters (Spearman correlation: -0.21, P < 0.001).

Conclusions : Children aged 3 to 6 years in Jiading and Xuhui districts, Shanghai were mostly mildly hyperopic, with a low prevalence of myopia. Refractive astigmatism for children may be relatively stable throughout the preschool stage. Astigmatism was significantly associated with spherical refractive error.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.

 

Bar graph showing age-specific distributions of the prevalence of refractive status in the right eyes.

 

Distribution of children with astigmatism(≤-1.00D) and without astigmatism by classification of spherical power.