Fan Xiang1, Mingguang He, Ian G Morgan. 1. State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between myopia in parents and their children in a sample of urban Chinese children. METHODS: Random sampling was used to identify a population-based sample of 4364 children aged 5 to 15 years from Guangzhou. Children had a comprehensive ocular examination including cycloplegic (1% cyclopentolate) refraction (ARK-30; Nidek Corp.). Data on parental myopia, education levels, incomes and occupations, and children's near-work activities were collected by questionnaire. Myopia in the children was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction of ≤-0.5 diopter. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was significantly higher in the children than in their parents (78.4% in 15-year-old children, compared with 19.8% in the parents, p < 0.001). The prevalence of myopia was 88.9% in children with one parent myopic, 83.3% in those with two parents myopic, and 68.2% in those without myopic parents, compared with 85.3% in those with tertiary-educated parents, 73.3% in those with secondary-educated parents, and 60.0% in those with less educated parents. Parental income and occupation had weaker associations with childhood myopia. In multiple regression analysis, only parental myopia remained significantly associated with myopia in the children. The observed additional risk among those with more myopic parents could not be attributed to reported near-work activities in children. CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of children in Guangzhou become myopic by the age of 15, irrespective of the myopic status of their parents. There is, however, an additional risk of myopia in children with myopic parents, which may have a genetic basis, but further analysis of the impact of possible environmental confounders is required.
PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between myopia in parents and their children in a sample of urban Chinese children. METHODS: Random sampling was used to identify a population-based sample of 4364 children aged 5 to 15 years from Guangzhou. Children had a comprehensive ocular examination including cycloplegic (1% cyclopentolate) refraction (ARK-30; Nidek Corp.). Data on parental myopia, education levels, incomes and occupations, and children's near-work activities were collected by questionnaire. Myopia in the children was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction of ≤-0.5 diopter. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia was significantly higher in the children than in their parents (78.4% in 15-year-old children, compared with 19.8% in the parents, p < 0.001). The prevalence of myopia was 88.9% in children with one parent myopic, 83.3% in those with two parents myopic, and 68.2% in those without myopic parents, compared with 85.3% in those with tertiary-educated parents, 73.3% in those with secondary-educated parents, and 60.0% in those with less educated parents. Parental income and occupation had weaker associations with childhood myopia. In multiple regression analysis, only parental myopia remained significantly associated with myopia in the children. The observed additional risk among those with more myopic parents could not be attributed to reported near-work activities in children. CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of children in Guangzhou become myopic by the age of 15, irrespective of the myopic status of their parents. There is, however, an additional risk of myopia in children with myopic parents, which may have a genetic basis, but further analysis of the impact of possible environmental confounders is required.
Authors: Virgilio Galvis; Alejandro Tello; M Margarita Parra; Jesus Merayo-Lloves; Jaime Larrea; Carlos Julian Rodriguez; Paul Anthony Camacho Journal: Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol Date: 2016
Authors: Jian Feng Wu; Hong Sheng Bi; Shu Mei Wang; Yuan Yuan Hu; Hui Wu; Wei Sun; Tai Liang Lu; Xing Rong Wang; Jost B Jonas Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-12-23 Impact factor: 3.240