Loading...
4 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- Myopia: public health challenges and interventions [editorial]Publication . Iribarren, Rafael; Grzybowski, Andrzej; Lança, CarlaMost school myopia results from an excessive eye axial length that develops in childhood. In the past three decades, there have been significant increases in the prevalence of childhood myopia. By 2050, half of the world's population is expected to have myopia, a 2-fold increase compared to the year 2000. In the last years, the achievements made by scientists have been exceptional, leading to major advancements in the treatment of myopia progression. This Research Topic comprises 14 studies including original research articles and reviews covering several aspects of myopia. Myopia has become one of the fastest-growing eye health challenges of the twenty-first century, with a disproportionate burden on urban Asia regions. Shi et al. conducted a study on temporal and spatial characterization of myopia in China. The authors showed that there was an increase in the prevalence of myopia in children aged 7–18 years old from 1995 to 2014. The study results also showed a shift of myopia to the southeast, identifying the existence of high-risk areas. Those results are important for targeted myopia prevention.
- Accommodative–vergence disorders in a paediatric ophthalmology clinical setting in ArgentinaPublication . Iurescia, Alejandra; Iribarren, Rafael; Lança, Carla; Grzybowski, AndrzejPurpose: To determine the frequency of potential non-strabismic accommodative-vergence anomalies (NSAVA) and investigate associations between NSAVA, refractive errors, and age among children attending a paediatric ophthalmology clinic. Methods: This study included children and adolescents aged 5-19 years attending an ophthalmology clinic with at least two follow-up visits. At their first visit, children had a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including refractive error measurement by cycloplegic autorefraction, and spectacles were prescribed if necessary. At the second visit, children had an examination of best-corrected visual acuity, convergence, and accommodation to identify potential NSAVA. The relationship between age, sex, heterophoria refractive error, and potential NSAVA was assessed by a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 384 children and adolescents were evaluated. Their mean age was 10.97 ± 3.07 years and 58.9% were females. Forty-two percent of children failed the NSAVA tests and 34.1% had myopia (≤-0.50 D). Children who failed NSAVA tests self-reported a higher proportion of reading problems (73.7%) compared to those who passed the tests (26.3%; p < 0.001). Children with self-reported reading problems were more likely to have accommodative infacility (57.9%) compared with children without (42.1%; p < 0.001). Refractive error and age were not associated with failure in NSAVA tests (p > 0.05). Conclusions: NSAVA was a frequent cause of vision problems found in a sample of children from an ophthalmology paediatric clinic. Thus, further research is necessary to understand the potential of public health policies to prevent, refer, diagnose, and treat those conditions.
- Role of tutorial classes and full day schooling on self-reported age of myopia onset: findings in a sample of Argentinian adultsPublication . Lança, Carla; Szeps, Abel; Iribarren, RafaelPurpose: To investigate the effect of tutorial classes and schooling schedules in childhood on the age of myopia onset. Methods: Refractive data for subjects ≥18 years of age were collected from 8 dispensing opticians or refractive ophthalmologists' offices in Argentina. Age of myopia onset, spherical equivalent (SE), and risk factors were determined using questionnaires. Multiple linear regression models were applied to assess possible factors associated with the age of myopia onset or final adult SE. Results: A total of 274 adults (61.3% females) with myopia between -0.50 and -6.00 D were included. The mean age was 36.9 ± 14.5 years. The mean adult SE was -2.95 ± 1.45 D, and the mean age of myopia onset was 14.2 ± 5.4 years. Subjects that attended after-school tutorial classes (β = -2.23; P = 0.005) or a full day schedule in primary school (β = -1.07; P = 0.035) or that spent more time on near work (β = -0.70; P = 0.010) in childhood, had younger age of myopia onset. Conclusions: In our study cohort, adults that had attended tutorial classes and/or full-day schooling during childhood had a younger age of myopia onset.
- Lifestyle and sleep-related behaviours in children with myopiaPublication . Fernández Irigaray, Leonardo; Torres, Rodrigo; Zanutigh, Virginia; Lança, Carla; Grzybowski, Andrzej; Iribarren, RafaelBackground: Myopia is a prevalent disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to explore myopia risk factors, including the association between night-time reading habits under low illumination and myopia in children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Argentina as part of the "Myopia Awareness Campaign" in June 2024. A total of 1,298 children aged 7-15 years were included. Data on self-reported myopia, reading habits, illumination levels, type of housing, outdoor time, and parental high myopia were collected through a 23-question Google Forms survey disseminated by ophthalmologists. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between these factors and self-reported myopia. Results: The prevalence of self-reported myopia in children was 23.7%. Significant risk factors for myopia included older age (odds ratio, OR: 1.15; 95% Confidence Intervals, CI:1.08-1.23), high-intensity reading (OR: 1.69; 95% CI:1.12-2.55), parental high myopia (OR: 2.88; 95% CI:2.07-4.00), less outdoor time (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97-0.999), and living in a house without a garden (OR:1.49; 95% CI:1.12-2.00). While initial unadjusted analysis suggested that reading at night in the dark was associated with myopia, the association lost significance after adjusting for age. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of environmental factors and lifestyle choices in myopia development. Although reading at night in the dark appeared as a potential risk factor, further research is needed to clarify its role in myopia development and progression. The existence of accessible outdoor areas may increase the time children spend outdoors helping to mitigate myopia incidence.