Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Ophthalmol.
Sec. Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fopht.2024.1456296

Cross-Sectional Study of Myopia Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors Among Children and Adolescents in Shaanxi Province, China

Provisionally accepted
Yi-Ming Guo Yi-Ming Guo 1Guan-Chen Liu Guan-Chen Liu 2Junhan Wei Junhan Wei 1Jiaqi Wang Jiaqi Wang 1Jiejing Bi Jiejing Bi 1Juan Huang Juan Huang 1Dang-xia Zhou Dang-xia Zhou 2Lu Ye Lu Ye 1*
  • 1 Xi'an No.4 Hospital, Xi'an, China
  • 2 Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background and Objectives: Myopia is a significant global public health issue, especially among Chinese children and adolescents. This study aims to explore the epidemiological characteristics of myopia and its associated risk factors among children and adolescents in Shaanxi Province.Methods: This large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 across Shaanxi Province, covering 261,506 children and adolescents from Guanzhong, Southern Shaanxi, and Northern Shaanxi. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations. Refractive error was assessed using non-cycloplegic refraction to determine the spherical equivalent (SE). Myopia was defined as SE ≤ -0.5 diopters (D) and further categorized into low myopia (SE ≤ -0.5 to > -3.0 D), moderate myopia (SE ≤ -3.0 to > -6.0 D), and high myopia (SE ≤ -6.0 D).Questionnaires were used to gather data on potential risk factors, including age, gender, education level, and ethnicity.The overall prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents in Shaanxi Province was 67.4% (95% CI: 67.2%-67.5%), with high myopia prevalence at 4.63% (95% CI: 4.55%-4.71%). The prevalence of myopia and high myopia was significantly higher in females than males. Myopia prevalence increased with education level. Northern Shaanxi had higher myopia and high myopia rates than Southern Shaanxi and Guanzhong. Regression analysis indicated that gender, grade level, and region were significant risk factors for myopia, with females having a higher risk than males, and Guanzhong and Northern Shaanxi having higher risks than Southern Shaanxi.The prevalence of myopia in Shaanxi Province is high, with significant differences by gender and region. Myopia rates increase with education level, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.

    Keywords: Myopia, Risk factors, Children, adolescents, Shaanxi Province; Region

    Received: 06 Jul 2024; Accepted: 22 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Guo, Liu, Wei, Wang, Bi, Huang, Zhou and Ye. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Lu Ye, Xi'an No.4 Hospital, Xi'an, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.