Prevalence of myopia in the United States.

Data from the 1971 to 1972 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to estimate myopia prevalence rates for persons in the United States between the ages of 12 and 54 years. When persons were classified by the refractive status of their right eye, 25% were myopic. Significantly lower prevalence rates were found for male subjects than for female subjects and for blacks than for whites. Myopia prevalence rose with family income and educational level. The importance of income and educational level may result from their association with near work, a factor that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myopia.