Effect of Myopic Undercorrection on Habitual Reading Distance in Schoolchildren: The Hong Kong Children Eye Study

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the habitual reading distance among non-myopic children and also myopic children with undercorrection and with full correction. Methods: This was a population-based crosssectional study with a total of 2363 children aged 6-8 years who were recruited from the Hong Kong Children Eye Study. Cycloplegic autorefraction, subjective refraction, habitual visual acuity, and best corrected visual acuity were measured. The entire reading process (9 min) was recorded using a hidden video camera placed 5 m away from the reading desk. Reading distances were taken at 6, 7, 8, and 9 min after the child began reading and were measured using a customized computer program developed in MATLAB. The main outcome was the association of habitual reading distances with refraction status. Habitual reading distances of children were documented via

Urban Living Environment and Myopia in Children

“…While we accounted for the impact of refractive correction status in our analysis, we only used a basic categorization of whether or not refractive correction was performed without considering the presence of undercorrection. It is important to note that undercorrection of myopia is a well-established factor that contributes to the advancement of myopia . Therefore, our results underscore the need for vigilant management of populations with myopia in low-urbanized areas despite the inherent risks associated with highly urbanized living environments.…”

“…It is important to note that undercorrection of myopia is a well-established factor that contributes to the advancement of myopia. 33,34 Therefore, our results underscore the need for vigilant management of populations with myopia in low-urbanized areas despite the inherent risks associated with highly urbanized living environments.…”

Prevalence of Myopia in Children Before, During, and After COVID-19 Restrictions in Hong Kong

“…Participants for this cross-sectional study were recruited from the ongoing Hong Kong Children Eye Study (HKCES), a population-based study of eye conditions among schoolchildren aged 6 to 8 years. 2 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 The sample selection was based on a stratified and clustered randomized sampling frame. We stratified all 571 primary schools registered with the Education Bureau into the 7 cluster regions used by the Hospital Authority Services in Hong Kong.…”

“…Participants for this cross-sectional study were recruited from the ongoing Hong Kong Children Eye Study (HKCES), a population-based study of eye conditions among schoolchildren aged 6 to 8 years. 2,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18] The sample selection was based on a stratified and clustered randomized sampling frame.…”

2022 Glenn A. Fry Award lecture: Enhancing clinical assessment for improved ophthalmic management

“…Early research exploring the increase in myopia globally was focused on the impact of near vision on the oculomotor system, [250][251][252] such as our research on near work-induced transient myopia 253,254 and changes in autonomic stimulation. 33,255,256 However, since the advent of treatments that can reduce the amount of myopia a child will develop (i.e., myopia control rather than management), [257][258][259] unlike approaches such as undercorrection, 260,261 we have charted a growing concern among practitioners across the globe and uptake of myopia control treatments. [262][263][264][265][266] Advances in biometers, such as the ones we have validated, 267,268 have allowed eye growth to be more sensitively tracked, and longitudinal data on untreated children [269][270][271][272] are being used in our app to allow practitioners to share a child's eye growth curve prediction to be shared with their parents along with tracking real-world data on myopic control appliances and approaches (Fig.…”