The ACES is the first large-scale cohort study in China with baseline response rates over 90%. Continuous documentation of changes and risk factors of refractive errors in these cohorts would provide new insights into myopia control in school-aged children.

This study establishes normative peripapillary RNFL values of 12-year-old Chinese children as measured by iVue-100 SD-OCT. The RNFL thickness decreased significantly with increasing axial length and higher myopia.

ImportanceMyopia in school-aged children is a public health issue worldwide; consequently, effective interventions to prevent onset and progression are required.ObjectiveTo investigate whether SMS text messages to parents increase light exposure and time outdoors in school-aged children and provide effective myopia control.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted in China from May 2017 to May 2018, with participants observed for 3 years. Of 528 965 primary school–aged children from Anyang, 3113 were randomly selected. Of these, 268 grade 2 schoolchildren were selected and randomly assigned to SMS and control groups. Data were analyzed from June to December 2021.InterventionsParents of children in the SMS group were sent text messages twice daily for 1 year to take their children outdoors. All children wore portable light meters to record light exposure on 3 randomly selected days (2 weekdays and 1 weekend day) before and after the intervention.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe co–primary outcomes were change in axial length (axial elongation) and change in spherical equivalent refraction (myopic shift) from baseline as measured at the end of the intervention and 3 years later. A secondary outcome was myopia prevalence.ResultsOf 268 grade 2 schoolchildren, 121 (45.1%) were girls, and the mean (SD) age was 8.4 (0.3) years. Compared with the control group, the SMS intervention group demonstrated greater light exposure and higher time outdoors during weekends, and the intervention had significant effect on axial elongation (coefficient, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.17; P = .01). Axial elongation was lower in the SMS group than in the control group during the intervention (0.27 mm [95% CI, 0.24-0.30] vs 0.31 mm [95% CI, 0.29-0.34]; P = .03) and at year 2 (0.39 mm [95% CI, 0.35-0.42] vs 0.46 mm [95% CI, 0.42-0.50]; P = .009) and year 3 (0.30 mm [95% CI, 0.27-0.33] vs 0.35 mm [95% CI, 0.33-0.37]; P = .005) after the intervention. Myopic shift was lower in the SMS group than in the control group at year 2 (−0.69 diopters [D] [95% CI, −0.78 to −0.60] vs −0.82 D [95% CI, −0.91 to −0.73]; P = .04) and year 3 (−0.47 D [95% CI, −0.54 to −0.39] vs −0.60 D [95% CI, −0.67 to −0.53]; P = .01) after the intervention, as was myopia prevalence (year 2: 38.3% [51 of 133] vs 51.1% [68 of 133]; year 3: 46.6% [62 of 133] vs 65.4% [87 of 133]).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, SMS text messages to parents resulted in lower axial elongation and myopia progression in schoolchildren over 3 years, possibly through increased outdoor time and light exposure, showing promise for reducing myopia prevalence.Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR-IOC-17010525

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Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness decreased with increasing AL, higher myopia, bigger cup area, smaller disc and rim area, and a smaller nerve head volume, but the coefficient of determination for all these associations was small. The RNFL in myopes was significantly thinner than emmetropes or hyperopes, but with small absolute differences. The study provides RNFL values for healthy 7-year-old Chinese children. Follow up of this cohort to observe the change of RNFL thickness with myopia and possible change in detected associations with age is planned.