Saxena Rohit, Gupta Vivek, Prasad Priyanka, Bhardwaj Amit, Vashist Praveen
Department of Ophthalmology, Dr Rajendra Prasad Center for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Department of Community Ophthalmology, Dr Rajendra Prasad Center for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Eye (Lond). 2022 Oct;36(10):2000-2005. doi: 10.1038/s41433-021-01797-3.
To assess the prevalence of myopia and its risk factors in rural school children.
Children in classes 4-7 of eight randomly selected schools (five government and three private) in rural Haryana, with unaided vision <6/9.5 were screened, their cycloplegic refraction is done, myopes were identified. A questionnaire-based assessment of risk factors was done for myopes and compared with 10% of randomly selected children with normal vision (controls). The prevalence of myopia and its association with risk factors were assessed.
Children screened were 1486 (89.5% coverage). The mean age of children was 11.2 ± 1.5 years with 861 (57.9%) boys. Prevalence of myopia was 6.4% (95% Confidence intervals [CI]: 5.2%, 7.8%). Prevalence was higher among private schools (10.1%) compared to government schools (1.4%) (p < 0.001), and among girls 7.2% (45/625) compared to boys 5.8% (50/861) (p = 0.2786). The mean spherical equivalent refractive error was -1.61D ± 1.32D. The prevalence of high myopia was 1.1% (1/95). There was a 75% unmet need for spectacles. Studying in private school was positively associated with myopia as per our multivariate analysis (p = 0.016). An inverse association was found for time spent outdoors (p = 0.009). Watching television, indoor time, screen time, age, or gender were not found to be statistically significant as risk factors.
The prevalence of myopia is increasing among children of rural areas, especially those in private schools with a strong inverse association with time spent outdoors. Regular screening, lifestyle modification and awareness about modifiable risk factors are essential.
评估农村学龄儿童近视的患病率及其危险因素。
在哈里亚纳邦农村地区随机选取8所学校（5所公立学校和3所私立学校）4至7年级的儿童，对裸眼视力<6/9.5的儿童进行筛查，进行睫状肌麻痹验光，确定近视儿童。对近视儿童进行基于问卷的危险因素评估，并与随机选取的10%视力正常儿童（对照组）进行比较。评估近视的患病率及其与危险因素的关联。
共筛查儿童1486名（覆盖率89.5%）。儿童平均年龄为11.2±1.5岁，其中男孩861名（57.9%）。近视患病率为6.4%（95%置信区间[CI]：5.2%，7.8%）。私立学校的患病率（10.1%）高于公立学校（1.4%）（p<0.001），女孩患病率为7.2%（45/625），高于男孩的5.8%（50/861）（p=0.2786）。平均等效球镜屈光不正为-1.61D±1.32D。高度近视患病率为1.1%（1/95）。眼镜需求未满足率为75%。根据多变量分析，在私立学校就读与近视呈正相关（p=0.016）。发现户外活动时间与之呈负相关（p=0.009）。未发现看电视、室内时间、屏幕时间、年龄或性别作为危险因素具有统计学意义。
农村地区儿童近视患病率呈上升趋势，尤其是私立学校儿童，且与户外活动时间呈强烈负相关。定期筛查、改变生活方式以及提高对可改变危险因素的认识至关重要。
