Associations between near work, outdoor activity, parental myopia and myopia among school children in Aba, Nigeria
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Uchenna Chigozirim Atowa. Discipline of Optometry, College of Health Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa. atowauc@gmail.com

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Supported by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Developing Research Innovation, Localisation and Leadership in South Africa (DRILL).? DRILL, is a NIH D43 grant (D43TW010131) awarded to UKZN in 2015 to support a research training and induction programme for early career academics.

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    Abstract:

    AIM: To assess the influence of near work, time outdoor and parental myopia on the prevalence of myopia in school children in Aba, Nigeria. METHODS: Primary and secondary school children aged between 8 and 15y were randomly recruited from 12 schools in Aba. Information on family history, near work and outdoor activity was obtained using myopia risk factor questionnaire. Cycloplegic refraction was performed using autorefraction technique. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤-0.50 D in the poorer eye. Data were analysed for 1197 (male: 538 and female: 659) children with full relevant data. RESULTS: Risk of developing myopia was positively associated with parental myopia [odds ratio (OR): 6.80; 95%CI, 2.76-16.74; P<0.01) for one myopic parent and (OR: 9.47; 95%CI, 3.88-23.13; P<0.01) for two myopic parents, longer daily reading hour (OR: 1.21; 95%CI, 1.03-1.42; P=0.02) and less time outdoors (OR: 0.8; 95%CI, 0.74-0.87; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Parental history of myopia is the most important risk factor associated with myopia. In addition, children with both parents being myopic has increased odds of developing myopia than those with one myopic parent. It is recommended therefore, that children spend more time outdoors as this could reduce the prevalence and progression of myopia.

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Atowa UC, Wajuihian SO, Munsamy AJ. Associations between near work, outdoor activity, parental myopia and myopia among school children in Aba, Nigeria. Int J Ophthalmol 2020;13(2):309-316

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Publication History
  • Received:April 27,2019
  • Revised:June 02,2019
  • Adopted:
  • Online: February 03,2020
  • Published: