Outdoor Activity Reduces the Prevalence of Myopia in Children

ABSTRACT

Objective : To assess the relationship of near, midworking distance and outdoor activities with the prevalence of myopia in school-aged children

Design : Cross-sectional study of 2 age samples from 51 Sydney schools,

Participants : 1765 six yrs old (Yr 1) and 2367 12-yrs old (Yr 7) participated in this study from 2003-2005

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INTRODUCTION

In the latter part of the 20th century in highly urbanized East Asian regions, the prevalence of myopia >> dramatically

In parallel with the >> in overall myopia, theres been a rise in the prev. of high myopia

Myopia is appearing with greater prev. in young children, which places these children at >> risk of developing high myopia

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INTRODUCTION

Due to these trends, theres been a research focus on factors >> risk of myopia

Example: family history, ethnicity (East Asian) both genetic factors

Myopia is believed to have a multifactorial etiology

Rapid rise in the prev. suggests that rapidly changing environmental factors are predominant current patterns of myopia

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Materials & Methods

The Sydney Myopia Study population- based survey of refraction & other eye conditions

Samples : School children (Yr1 & Yr7) resident in the area of Sydney, Australia

Methods : the study area was stratified by sosioecon. Status using Australian Bureau of Statistics 96-01

34 primary & 21 secondary school selected

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Materials & Methods

Obtain informed consent from at least 1 parent & verbal consent of each child

Then, the children had a comprehensive eye exam. Including cycloplegic autorefraction to determine refractive status

Parents complete questionnaire ( periods during which children engaged in near work [