School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Jul 18;54(7):4843-50. doi: 10.1167/iovs.13-11813.
To explore 3-year change in spherical refractive error and ocular components among white Northern Irish schoolchildren.
Baseline data were collected among 6- to 7-year-old and 12- to 13-year-old children. Three years after baseline, follow-up data were collected. Cycloplegic refractive error and ocular components measurements (axial length [AL], anterior chamber depth [ACD], corneal radius of curvature [CRC]) were determined using binocular open-field autorefraction and ocular biometry. Change in spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) and ocular components were calculated.
A statistically significantly greater change in SER was found between 6 to 7 years and 9 to 10 years (younger cohort) compared to between 12 to 13 years and 15 to 16 years (older cohort) (-0.38 diopter [D] and -0.13 D, respectively) (P<0.001). A statistically significantly greater change in AL was found among the younger compared to the older cohort (0.48 mm and 0.14 mm, respectively) (P<0.001). Change in ACD was minimal across both groups (0.12 mm younger and 0.05 mm older cohort) as were changes in CRC. Change in SER was associated with change in AL in both age groups (both P<0.01).
There is a greater change in both spherical refractive error and axial length in younger children when compared with teenagers. Although increase in axial length drives refractive change during childhood and teenage years, lens compensation continues to occur in an attempt to maintain emmetropia. White children living in Northern Europe demonstrate dramatically less change in spherical refractive error over a fixed period of time than their East Asian counterparts. In contrast, they appear to exhibit more rapid myopic progression than UK children studied in the mid-20th century.
探讨北爱尔兰白人学龄儿童 3 年的球镜屈光误差和眼结构变化。
6 至 7 岁和 12 至 13 岁儿童为基线数据收集期。3 年后进行随访。使用双眼开放视野自动验光仪和眼生物测量仪测量睫状肌麻痹后的屈光误差和眼结构参数（眼轴长度[AL]、前房深度[ACD]、角膜曲率半径[CRC]）。计算球镜等效屈光度（SER）和眼结构参数的变化。
与 12 至 13 岁和 15 至 16 岁（年龄较大组）相比，6 至 7 岁和 9 至 10 岁（年龄较小组）的 SER 变化更大（分别为-0.38 屈光度[D]和-0.13 D）（P<0.001）。与年龄较大组相比，年龄较小组的 AL 变化更大（分别为 0.48 毫米和 0.14 毫米）（P<0.001）。两组的 ACD 变化都很小（年龄较小组为 0.12 毫米，年龄较大组为 0.05 毫米），CRC 变化也很小。在两个年龄组中，SER 的变化均与 AL 的变化相关（均 P<0.01）。
与青少年相比，年幼儿童的球镜屈光误差和眼轴长度变化更大。尽管眼轴长度的增加会导致儿童和青少年时期的屈光变化，但晶状体的补偿仍在继续，以试图维持正视。生活在北欧的白种儿童在固定时间段内，其球镜屈光误差的变化幅度明显小于东亚儿童。相比之下，他们的近视进展速度似乎比 20 世纪中叶英国儿童的近视进展速度更快。
