AIM: To investigate the status of astigmatism in children and adolescents aged 7-19 years in some areas of Xinjiang, and to analyze the distribution of astigmatism in children and adolescents in Xinjiang.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study. This study took a purposive sampling survey of 41 schools in some areas of Xinjiang, including 20 primary schools and 21 middle schools, from May 2019 to December 2019. A total of 71 838 children and adolescents were included as the survey objects for relevant eye examinations.

RESULTS: Among 71 838 students, 35 888 were found to have astigmatism(column ≤ -0.50D), and the astigmatism detection rate was 49.96%. The differences of astigmatism detection rate among different ages, genders, education levels, regions and ethnic groups were statistically significant(all P<0.001). The detection rate of astigmatism increased with age from 7-16 years old, and reached the highest rate of 57.60% at 16 years old. The detection rate of astigmatism decreased from 16-19 years old, and the overall detection rate of astigmatism increased with age. With the increase of education level, the detection rate of astigmatism increases, and the detection rate of male astigmatism(51.25%)is higher than that of female astigmatism(48.62%). The detection rate of astigmatism in provincial capital cities(50.99%)is higher than that in non-provincial capital cities(48.05%); the detection rate of astigmatism in Han(53.41%)was higher than that in Uyghur(40.17%), Kazakhs(48.23%), Kyrgys(45.56%)and Hui(48.87%). The astigmatism type was mainly with-the-rule astigmatism(74.53%), and with the increase of age, the composition ratio of with-the-rule astigmatism decreased, while the composition ratio of against-the-rule astigmatism and oblique astigmatism increased. The final results of Logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, nationality, region and education level were all influential factors of astigmatism.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of astigmatism in children and adolescents aged 7-19 years in some areas of Xinjiang is 49.96%, and the astigmatism is mainly with-the-rule astigmatism(74.53%). Age, gender, nationality, region and education level are the influential factors of astigmatism.