Research
Prevalence of Myopia and Associated Risk Factors in Schoolchildren in North India
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated behavioral risk factors of myopia in schoolchildren in Gurugram, Haryana, in north India.
A total of 1234 children were screened. Myopia prevalence was found to be 21.1% but higher (27%) among older children (9 to 12 years). It was also higher in boys (25%) compared with girls.
A positive association of presence of myopia was observed with children studying more than 4 hours per day and with children playing computer/video/mobile games more than 2 hours per day.
A protective effect was observed in children with outdoor activities/play for more than 1.5 hours per day.
The study concluded that myopia is a major public health concern, and its prevalence is increasing rapidly among schoolchildren in India.
There is a pressing need to develop cost-effective strategies to prevent this cause of vision impairment, which can be easily treated with optical interventions.