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Prevalence of myopia in preschool Singapore Chinese children
Author(s) -
SAW SM,
DIRANI M,
GAZZARD G,
MITCHELL P,
VARMA R,
WONG TY
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2009.3325.x
Subject(s) - anisometropia , cycloplegia , medicine , astigmatism , strabismus , dioptre , refractive error , optometry , ophthalmology , autorefractor , visual acuity , physics , optics
Purpose To determine the prevalence of refractive error types in Singaporean Chinese children aged 6 to 72 months. Methods The Strabismus, Amblyopia and Refractive error in Singaporean Children (STARS) is a population‐based study conducted in southwest Singapore. Door‐to‐door recruited participants were selected using a disproportionate random sampling in 6 month increments. Eye examinations included LogMAR visual acuity, cycloplegic autorefraction, and IOL Master biometry. Overall and age‐specific prevalences of myopia (spherical equivalence [SE] < ‐0.50 diopters [D]), high myopia (SE < ‐6.00 D), hyperopia (SE >+3.00 D), astigmatism (cylinder >+1.50 D), and anisometropia (SE difference between each eye >2.00D) were calculated. Results 3009 children were examined (participation rate 72.3%). Right eye (OD) cycloplegia data were available for 1375 boys and 1264 girls. Mean OD SE was +0.69D (SD 1.15D). Overall myopia prevalence was 11.0% with no gender variance (p = 0.91). High myopia prevalence was 0.2%. Prevalences of hyperopia, astigmatism and anisometropia were 1.4%, 8.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. Myopia was present in 15.8%, 14.9%, 20.2%, 8.6%, 7.6%, and 6.4% of children aged 6‐11, 12‐23, 24‐35, 36‐47, 48‐59, and 60‐72 months, respectively. Astigmatism prevalence increased with age (p<0.001), but hyperopia and anisometropia did not, p= 0.55 and p= 0.37, respectively. Conclusion Prevalences of myopia and astigmatism in Singaporean Chinese preschoolers are high, and low for hyperopia. Age effects were observed for each refractive error category.