Analysis of risk factors for myopia in preschool children
10.3980/j.issn.1672-5123.2025.8.27
- VernacularTitle:学龄前儿童近视影响因素分析
- Author:
Kang LU
1
;
Jie XIAO
1
;
Youhai WANG
1
;
Kangrui LIU
1
;
Qing WANG
1
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
preschool children;
myopia;
risk factors;
gender;
spherical equivalent
- From:
International Eye Science
2025;25(8):1363-1370
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
AIM: To investigate the risk factors of myopia, and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of myopia in preschool children.METHODS:This is a retrospective case-control study. A total of 168 preschool-aged children(168 eyes)were enrolled from the ophthalmology department at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between September 2021 and September 2023, selecting the eye with poorer vision for inclusion; the right eye was selected when both eyes had equal vision. Grouping criteria: Children with spherical equivalent(SE)>0 D and age-appropriate normal visual acuity(≥0.5 for ages 3-5; ≥0.7 for ages 6-7)were directly assigned to the non-myopia group. Children with SE <0 D underwent cycloplegic refraction after 3 days of 1% atropine sulfate gel application(three times daily). Those with SE ≤-0.50 D and failure to achieve age-normal visual acuity(<0.5 for ages 3-5; <0.7 for ages 6-7)were assigned to the myopia group, with 84 children(84 eyes)in each group. All participants underwent measurements of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, refraction, and ocular biometric parameters. Parents or guardians completed risk factor questionnaires during the visit, covering daily outdoor activity duration, daily electronic device usage/reading time, parental myopia status, maternal delivery mode, and full-term birth status.RESULTS:Significant differences were observed in uncorrected visual acuity, spherical power, SE, and axial length between the two groups of children(all P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in daily sleep duration, daily reading/homework time, maternal myopia status, mode of delivery, or full-term delivery status(all P>0.05). However, significant differences existed in daily outdoor activity time, daily electronic device usage duration, maternal myopia degree, paternal myopia degree, maternal age of myopia onset, and paternal age of myopia onset(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors for myopia in preschool children: daily outdoor activity under 2 h, daily electronic device use exceeding 60 min, maternal myopia degree, maternal early-onset myopia, paternal high myopia, and paternal early-onset myopia. Analysis of interaction effects children gender and myopia-related factors on SE revealed significant interactions of children gender with paternal myopia degree, maternal and paternal age of myopia onset(P<0.05). Simple effects analysis further demonstrated that girls exhibited higher degree of myopia than boys in families with paternal early-onset myopia, maternal early-onset myopia, or paternal high myopia(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Insufficient daily outdoor activity time(under 1 h), daily electronic device use exceeding 60 min, and parental myopia are significant risk factors for myopia development in preschool children. Among these children, girls' refractive status was particularly associated with parental refractive status.
