A Study Of Wearing Glasses Habits’Impacts On Progression Of Myopia Among Children Of School Age

Purpose:To study the impacts of wearing glasses habits, initial refractive error, eye care habits and physical development state on progression of myopia among children of school age.Design:Prospective, cohort study.Method:Myopic children undergoing diagnosis and treatment in our hospital between May2011and September2011were enrolled. They were all primary school age children. The primary outcomes were the refractive error after cycloplegia and ocular axis length, they were measured at0,6,12,18and24months after the initial diagnosis, respectively. The children’s glasses wearing habits in the last six months were assessed at each follow up. The habits were described into4status, Status A:the time of wearing glasses was more than8hours per day; Status B:the time of wearing glasses was between4and8hours per day; Status C:the time of wearing glasses was less than4hours per day; Status D:without glasses. And the height and weight of the children were measured at0,12and24months. The children’s eye care habits were assessed at12and24months through a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS17.0.Results:1. Totally,279(145male and152female, the mean age was9.20±0.73years old) myopic children without glasses wearing history were enrolled in the present study and203patients (99male and104female) completed the2years’follow up. The mean age is9.13±0.88years old. The initial mean spherical equivalent refraction (SER):the right is-1.45±0.64D; the left is-1.48±0.63D. The annual changes of SER in the first year:the right is-0.73±0.38D; the left is-0.74±0.37D. The annual changes of SER in the second year:the right is-0.57±0.37D; the left is-0.55±0.35D. There was a significant lower progression in the second year for both eye (the right eye t=-4.813,p<0.001; the left eye t=-5.984,p<0.001). The annual changes of the axial length (AL) were mostly consistent with the refractive error.2. The distribution of wearing glasses habits was described at6,12,18and24months, respectively. There was a general upward trend in Status A and Status B (Status A raised from25.12%at6months to57.64%at24months; Status B raised from6.9%at6months to20.69%at24months); But a downward trend was showed in Status C and Status D (Status C declined from24.63%at6months to16.26%at24months; Status D declined from43.35%at6months to5.41%at24months). The relation between the progression of myopia and the wearing glasses habits was evaluated: ①There was a significantly lower progression of myopia in Status A than Status C and Status D (p<0.01at6,12,18and24months, respectively). There was a slightly lower progression of myopia in Status A than Status B (p>0.05at6,12and18months and p <0.05at24months, respectively).②There was a significantly lower progression of myopia in Status B than Status C and Status D (p<0.05at6,12,18and24months, respectively).③There was no significantly statistic differences between Status C and Status D of progression of myopia (p>0.05at6,12,18and24months, respectively).3. A negative correlation between the progression of SER and the height growth was found in the present study (r=-0.578, p<0.001). There was no significantly correlation between the progression of SER and the initial SER (r=0.016, p=0.824). It was found that close range reading, light conditions and using eyes continually have no significant correlation with the progression of SER (p>0.05).Conclusion:1. The school age children’s wearing glasses habits affected the progression of myopia. Insufficient glasses wearing time or without glasses accelerated myopia progress.2. The progression of myopia accelerated with the height growth.3. The children’s initial SER and eye care habits had no effect on the progression of myopia.