Abstract
Purpose :
Genetics, as well as behavioral factors, such as near work and light exposure, are known to play a role in the etiology of myopia. Education is often used as a proxy for near work, with more educated populations showing a higher prevalence of myopia. Two distinct ethnic populations, Jews and Arabs, study at Israeli colleges. Given that all students are admitted on similar criteria, educational background of these populations is believed to be comparable. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of myopia in college students in Jerusalem and to determine its association with gender and ethnicity (Jew or Arab).
Methods :
First year college students (from 2011-2019) underwent a vision screening that included non-cycloplegic auto-refraction (Luneau L80 or VX130) and a questionnaire to assess age, gender, and ethnicity. Students who had undergone refractive surgery were excluded. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent <-0.50 D and high myopia as ≤-6.00 D. Prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated, and groups were compared using Chi-square or Fisher test. Odds ratio to evaluate risk factors were calculated.
Results :
The study included 807 students (652 women, 377 Jews) with a mean age of 22.1±2.6 (range: 17-30) and mean spherical equivalent of -1.7±2.2 (range: -13.3-+5.7). The prevalence of myopia and high myopia were 66.3% (95% CI: 63.0-69.6%) and 4.6% (95% CI: 4.4-4.8%), respectively. Women had significantly higher prevalence of myopia than men (68.1% vs. 58.7%, p<0.03), but not of high myopia (5.1% vs. 2.6%, p=0.28). Jewish students had significantly higher prevalence of myopia (69.2% vs. 60.3%, p<0.02) and high myopia (5.9% vs. 1.9%, p<0.02) than Arab students. Female gender emerged as a risk factor for myopia (OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.07-2.21, p<0.02), but not for high myopia. Jewish ethnicity emerged as a risk factor for both myopia and high myopia (OR=1.51, 95% CI 1.11-2.05, p<0.01 and OR=3.52, 95% CI 1.35-9.19, p<0.01, respectively).
Conclusions :
The prevalence of myopia, approximately 66%, in college students in Israel is higher than the global average. Jewish ethnicity, compared to Arab ethnicity, was a risk factor for myopia and high myopia in this population. As all students had a similar academic background, findings suggest that genetic factors play a role in the refractive differences between Arabs and Jews.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.