Investigation and analysis of the status of myopia and related behavior in children and adolescents in Northeast Sichuan

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we examined the current status of myopia among primary and secondary school children in northeastern Sichuan to analyze the factors connected to myopia and provide data support and a theoretical foundation for the prevention and control of myopia. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study and a comprehensive sampling survey, 34,138 students aged 5–19 years were screened for refraction in 22 primary and secondary schools in Langzhong, and 4000 behavioral questionnaires were delivered at random. After evaluation and rational problem-solving, a total of 3764 valid questionnaires were obtained. SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. Results: The percentage of myopia among primary and secondary school students in Langzhong was 65.61%, with female students having a higher rate than male students (P < 0.05); 52.81% of primary school students, 86.26% of secondary school students, and 88.17% of high school students had myopia. The incidence of myopia detection increased with school age (P < 0.001), indicating a correlation between age and myopia prevalence. The prevalence of myopia was mainly low (40.53%) and moderate myopia (19.89%). The prevalence of high myopia (5.19%) was relatively high. The prevalence of myopia among female students (5.54%) was greater than that in male students (P < 0.05) and increased with age (P < 0.001). The proportion of students who wore eyeglasses was 24.36%, with a larger proportion of female students (25.93%) than male students (22.61%) (P < 0.001). In addition, the rate of eyeglass use increased with school age (P < 0.001). A logistic regression analysis revealed that higher grade point averages, female gender, and long-term usage of electronic items were risk factors for myopia. The results of the questionnaire survey revealed that students in this region were under immense pressure to perform well academically, spent a lot of time engaged in near-work activities, and had a low rate of myopia awareness; 24.43% of the students had not had a vision examination in the previous year, indicating that parents did not pay sufficient attention to eye health. Conclusion: The incidence of myopia among children and teenagers is high in Northeast Sichuan, and the outlook for addressing the problem is bleak. Therefore, it is critical to improve vision monitoring and eye health education.