Prevalence of Myopia and Associated Risk Factors in Schoolchildren in North India
AUTHOR:
Singh, Neeraj Kumar, James, Ritika M., Yadav, Avdhesh, Kumar, Rishikesh, Asthana, Smita, Labani, Satyanarayana
SPONSOR/INSTITUTION:
YEAR PUBLISHED:
2019
PUBLICATION:
Optometry and Vision Science, Journal of the American Academy of Optometry
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated behavioral risk factors of myopia in schoolchildren in Gurugram, Haryana, in north India.
A total of 1234 children were screened. Myopia prevalence was found to be 21.1% but higher (27%) among older children (9 to 12 years). It was also higher in boys (25%) compared with girls.
A positive association of presence of myopia was observed with children studying more than 4 hours per day and with children playing computer/video/mobile games more than 2 hours per day.
A protective effect was observed in children with outdoor activities/play for more than 1.5 hours per day.
The study concluded that myopia is a major public health concern, and its prevalence is increasing rapidly among schoolchildren in India.
There is a pressing need to develop cost-effective strategies to prevent this cause of vision impairment, which can be easily treated with optical interventions.