Comparison of myopia progression among Chinese schoolchildren before and during COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-analysis.

AIM

To compare myopia progression in Chinese schoolchildren before and after the COVID-19 pandemic home confinement.

METHODS

This study was done through the data searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from January 2022 to March 2023 related to the COVID-19 pandemic home confinement and myopia progression among Chinese schoolchildren. Myopia progression was evaluated by the mean change of spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sex and regional differences in myopia progression among schoolchildren before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were also analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of eight eligible studies were included in this study. There was a significant difference in SER before and during home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 0.34; 95%CI = [0.23, 0.44]; Z = 6.39; P < 0.00001), but no significant difference in AL (OR = 0.16; 95%CI = [- 0.09, 0.41]; Z = 1.22, P = 0.22). There was a significant difference in SER between male and female groups during the COVID-19 home confinement (OR = 0.10; 95%CI = [0.00, 0.19]; Z = 1.98, P = 0.05). As for regional analysis, there was a significant difference in SER between urban and rural areas during the COVID-19 quarantine period (OR = -0.56; 95%CI = [- 0.88, - 0.25]; Z = 3.50, P = 0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the time before the COVID-19 home confinement, a higher rate of myopic progression among Chinese schoolchildren during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic was demonstrated.