Prevalence of Myopia in the United States

Sperduto, Robert D.; Seigel, Daniel; Roberts, Jean; Rowland, Michael L.

doi:10.1001/archopht.1983.01040010405011

Cited by 482 publications

(262 citation statements)

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“…A higher prevalence of myopia in females is also detected in Finnish students (Mantyjarvi 1983) and in the general population of the United States (Sperduto et al 1983). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…A percentage of 15.8% has been detected among males (17-19 years old) in Israel (Rosner & Belkin 1987), while in India a myopia prevalence of 19.7% has been reported in school children (Mohan et al 1988). Regarding myopia prevalence in the general population, a rate of 25.0% is detected in the United States (Sperduto et al 1983), while in Alaska a high frequency of 44.7% is reported (van Rens & Arkell 1991). On the other hand, myopia is very rare in India's general population where a rate of 6.9% is found (Mohan et al 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been found that the rate of myopia is correlated to the educational level in a linear way (Teasdale et al 1988). It has also been deduced that myopia prevalence in different age groups is proportional to the duration of each age group's education (Sperduto et al 1983). These conclusions account for the high rate of myopia in medical students in Norway (54.1%) and the low rate in an Indian rural population (2.8%) that is barely educated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, myopia seems to be a frequent result of rearing in environments where distance vision is restricted (Young 1961;Wallman et al 1978). The accommodative effort in the developing eye causes the optic axis to elongate and the eye to become myopic (Sperduto et al 1983). This theory accounts for increasing degrees of myopia up to about ª2.0 D. Perhaps genetic factors become decisive in determining whether myopia develops beyond the level of ª2.0 D and the mechanism may lie in the nervous system (Teasdale et al 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to extensive studies in various populations and in different countries, the distribution of myopia among students is variable. Several studies have shown that the prevalence of myopia increases with the level of education (Sperduto et al 1983;Teasdale et al 1988). It has also been supported that myopia is partly hereditary (Teikari et al 1991;Zadnik et al 1994).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of myopia in a sample of Greek students

Mavracanas

Mandalos

Peios

et al. 2000

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

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ABSTRACT.Purpose: An epidemiological study, concerning the prevalence of myopia among the student population (15-18 years old) of Northern Greece, was carried out. Methods: Specific questionnaires were used in order to collect data on the refractive condition of students. Results: Myopia prevalence was 36.8% and was found to be more common in females (46.0%) than in males (29.7%). The prevalence increased in students with myopic parents and myopic siblings. It was also found that myopia correlates strongly with nearwork and school performance. Conclusion:The study results suggest that myopia is a rather common refractive error in Greek students. Findings also indicate that myopia is probably hereditary and correlates with educational level, intelligence and excessive nearwork.Key words: myopia in students -epidemiology -heredity and myopia -nearwork -education. M yopia, as well as the other refractive errors, is a very common feature of the student population. According to extensive studies in various populations and in different countries, the distribution of myopia among students is variable. Several studies have shown that the prevalence of myopia increases with the level of education (Sperduto et al. 1983;Teasdale et al. 1988). It has also been supported that myopia is partly hereditary (Teikari et al. 1991;Zadnik et al. 1994). This study's aim is to examine the major epidemiological characteristics of myopia in the Greek student population and to identify the specific factors that cause myopia incidence. Material and MethodsIn 1998, there were about 220,000 students aged between 15 and 18 years attending High School in Greece. In order to collect the material, 12 high schools in four cities of Northern Greece (Thessaloniki, Larissa, Alexandroupoli and Nigrita) were chosen. These cities were selected as they represent the urban (Thessaloniki), the semi-urban (Larissa, Alexandroupoli) and the rural (Nigrita) population of Northern Greece. It is therefore assumed that the selected population represents a sufficient range of the socio-economic spectrum. A total number of 1852 questionnaires were distributed to students in order to collect data on their refractive condition. We consider the questionnaire method to be of sufficient validity, taking into account that certain other studies were based on this method (Teikari et al. 1991;Zadnik et al. 1994).Students were asked to quote their refractive situation using their ophthalmologist's prescription. They were also asked to determine their parents' and siblings' refractive situation, their performance at school, the hours they studied daily, the potential use of glasses or contact lenses and their habits. The questionnaires were anonymous and confidential.Students who complained of poor vision but had not had their visual acuity examined were excluded. On the other hand, we assumed that students with no visual acuity test and no subjective visual problems were emmetropes, and as such they were included in the study. Foreigners and immigrants of the last eight ye...

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“…A higher prevalence of myopia in females is also detected in Finnish students (Mantyjarvi 1983) and in the general population of the United States (Sperduto et al 1983). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Prevalence of myopia in a sample of Greek students

Mavracanas

Mandalos

Peios

et al. 2000

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

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Prevalence and Risk Factors of Myopia in Victoria, Australia

1999

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Participants and Methods: The Visual Impairment Project is a population-based prevalence study of eye disease in which both urban and rural adult populations were examined. Refractive data on the participants were collected using logMAR visual acuity, corrective lens measurement, and subjective refraction. All refractive error data were converted into spherical equivalent and myopia was defined at 2 levels: worse than −0.5 diopters (D) and worse than −1.00 D. Results: A total of 3271 (83%) urban and 1473 (91%) rural residents were examined. The overall prevalence of myopia worse than −0.50 D in the population was 17% (95% confidence limit = 15.8%, 18.0%). Prevalence of myopia decreased from 24% in those aged 40 to 49 years to 12% in those aged 70 to 79 years, and then increased to 17% in people older than 80 years. The younger age groups also had higher usage of myopic corrective lenses throughout their lives than the older age groups, indicating an increased use of myopic corrective lenses in recent times. Myopia was found to be significantly higher in people with higher education levels (2 = 119.20, P Ͻ .001), in clerks and professionals (2 = 132.53, P Ͻ .001), in people born in southeast Asia (2 = 77.62, P Ͻ .001), and in people with higher degrees of nuclear opacity (2 = 55.26, P Ͻ .001). Conclusion: Myopia rates in the Visual Impairment Project generally decrease with age and use of myopic correction has increased in recent times. Myopia was significantly related to education level, occupation, country of birth, and nuclear opacity.

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Aggregation of Refractive Error and 5-Year Changes in Refractive Error Among Families in the Beaver Dam Eye Study

Lee

Klein²,

Klein³

et al. 2001

Arch Ophthalmol

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To examine aggregation of refraction, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, as well as the 5-year change in each of these measures, among adult family members. Design: Geographically defined, population-based cohort study in Beaver Dam, Wis. Participants were all 43 to 84 years of age in 1988. Family relationships among participants of the study were identified through interviews. The main outcome measures were noncycloplegic refractions. Aggregation was assessed by Pearson correlations and odds ratios (ORs) that both members of a pair were affected. Results: Age-adjusted sibling correlation of refraction was 0.37 and the OR for a sibling to be myopic was 4.18, whereas the OR for being hyperopic was 2.87 (all statistically significant, PϽ.05).

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Prevalence of Myopia in the United States

Cited by 482 publications

References 9 publications

Prevalence of myopia in a sample of Greek students

Prevalence of myopia in a sample of Greek students

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Myopia in Victoria, Australia

Aggregation of Refractive Error and 5-Year Changes in Refractive Error Among Families in the Beaver Dam Eye Study

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