Increases in the prevalence of reduced visual acuity and myopia in Chinese children in Guangzhou over the past 20 years

F Xiang; M He; Y Zeng; J Mai; K A Rose; I G Morgan

doi:10.1038/eye.2013.194

Increases in the prevalence of reduced visual acuity and myopia in Chinese children in Guangzhou over the past 20 years

Eye (Lond). 2013 Dec;27(12):1353-8. doi: 10.1038/eye.2013.194. Epub 2013 Sep 6.

Authors

F Xiang¹, M He², Y Zeng³, J Mai⁴, K A Rose⁵, I G Morgan⁶

Affiliations

¹ 1] State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China [2] ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science and Visual Sciences Group, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
² 1] State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China [2] Helen Keller International, New York, NY, USA.
³ State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Guangzhou Student's Health Care Institute of the Guangzhou City, Department of Education, Guangzhou, China.
⁵ Discipline of Orthoptics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia.
⁶ ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science and Visual Sciences Group, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Abstract

Background/aims: To estimate the prevalence of myopia based on reduced unaided visual acuity (VA) in Chinese school children over the past 20 years.

Methods: Guangzhou school health authorities have measured VA on Grade 1-12 students from 1988 to 2007 annually, using a LogMAR tumbling E chart. VA is reported as Snellen categories: normal (VA ≥ 6/6), mildly reduced (6/9 < VA <6/6), moderately reduced (6/18 < VA ≤ 6/9), and severely reduced VA (VA ≤ 6/18).

Results: In 1988, over 80% of children in Grade 1 (age 6 years) and about 30% in Grade 12 (age 17 years) had normal unaided VA. By 2007, this dropped to only 60% in Grade 1 and about 10% in Grade 12. Conversely, the prevalence of moderately and severely reduced unaided VA increased from 6.2% in Grade 1 and 62.5% in Grade 12 in 1988 to 14.5% in Grade 1 and 84.11% in Grade 12 in 2007. This rate was unchanged from 2003 to 2007 at both the Grade 1 and Grade 12 levels.

Conclusions: In Guangzhou, the prevalence of reduced unaided VA has increased markedly in the past 20 years, but has stabilized in the past few years. This increase may result from environmental changes, such as increased schooling intensity and urbanization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Asian People
Child
Child, Preschool
China / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Myopia / epidemiology*
Myopia / physiopathology
Prevalence
Vision Disorders / epidemiology*
Vision Disorders / physiopathology
Visual Acuity* / physiology