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- Publisher Website: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-319307
- WOS: WOS:000727749000001
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Article: Myopia incidence and lifestyle changes among school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based prospective study
Title | Myopia incidence and lifestyle changes among school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based prospective study |
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Authors | |
Issue Date | 2021 |
Citation | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2021, p. bjophthalmol-2021-319307 How to Cite? |
Abstract | Background The impacts of social restrictions for COVID-19 on children’s vision and lifestyle remain unknown. Aims To investigate myopia incidence, spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and lifestyle changes among schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Two separate longitudinal cohorts of children aged 6–8 years in Hong Kong were included. The COVID-19 cohort was recruited at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, whereas the pre-COVID-19 cohort was recruited before the COVID-19 pandemic. All children received ocular examinations, and answered a standardised questionnaire relating to their lifestyle, including time spent on outdoor activities and near work, both at baseline and at follow-up visits. Results A total of 1793 subjects were recruited, of whom 709 children comprised the COVID-19 cohort with 7.89±2.30 months of follow-up, and 1084 children comprised the pre-COVID-19 cohort with 37.54±3.12 months of follow-up. The overall incidence was 19.44% in the COVID-19 cohort, and 36.57% in pre-COVID-19 cohort. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in SER and axial length was –0.50±0.51 D and 0.29±0.35 mm, respectively; the time spent on outdoor activities decreased from 1.27±1.12 to 0.41±0.90 hours/day (p<0.001), while screen time increased from 2.45±2.32 to 6.89±4.42 hours/day (p<0.001). Conclusions We showed a potential increase in myopia incidence, significant decrease in outdoor time and increase in screen time among schoolchildren in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results serve to warn eye care professionals, and also policy makers, educators and parents, that collective efforts are needed to prevent childhood myopia—a potential public health crisis as a result of COVID-19. |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/320572 |
ISI Accession Number ID |
DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | Zhang, XJ | - |
dc.contributor.author | Cheung, SSL | - |
dc.contributor.author | Chan, HN | - |
dc.contributor.author | Zhang, YZ | - |
dc.contributor.author | Wang, YM | - |
dc.contributor.author | Yip, BH | - |
dc.contributor.author | Kam, KW | - |
dc.contributor.author | Yu, M | - |
dc.contributor.author | Cheng, CY | - |
dc.contributor.author | Young, AL | - |
dc.contributor.author | Kwan, MYW | - |
dc.contributor.author | Ip, P | - |
dc.contributor.author | Chong, KKL | - |
dc.contributor.author | Tham, CC | - |
dc.contributor.author | Chen, LJ | - |
dc.contributor.author | Pang, CP | - |
dc.contributor.author | Yam, JCS | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2022-10-21T07:55:51Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2022-10-21T07:55:51Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2021 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2021, p. bjophthalmol-2021-319307 | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/320572 | - |
dc.description.abstract | Background The impacts of social restrictions for COVID-19 on children’s vision and lifestyle remain unknown. Aims To investigate myopia incidence, spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and lifestyle changes among schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Two separate longitudinal cohorts of children aged 6–8 years in Hong Kong were included. The COVID-19 cohort was recruited at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, whereas the pre-COVID-19 cohort was recruited before the COVID-19 pandemic. All children received ocular examinations, and answered a standardised questionnaire relating to their lifestyle, including time spent on outdoor activities and near work, both at baseline and at follow-up visits. Results A total of 1793 subjects were recruited, of whom 709 children comprised the COVID-19 cohort with 7.89±2.30 months of follow-up, and 1084 children comprised the pre-COVID-19 cohort with 37.54±3.12 months of follow-up. The overall incidence was 19.44% in the COVID-19 cohort, and 36.57% in pre-COVID-19 cohort. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in SER and axial length was –0.50±0.51 D and 0.29±0.35 mm, respectively; the time spent on outdoor activities decreased from 1.27±1.12 to 0.41±0.90 hours/day (p<0.001), while screen time increased from 2.45±2.32 to 6.89±4.42 hours/day (p<0.001). Conclusions We showed a potential increase in myopia incidence, significant decrease in outdoor time and increase in screen time among schoolchildren in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results serve to warn eye care professionals, and also policy makers, educators and parents, that collective efforts are needed to prevent childhood myopia—a potential public health crisis as a result of COVID-19. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | British Journal of Ophthalmology | - |
dc.title | Myopia incidence and lifestyle changes among school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based prospective study | - |
dc.type | Article | - |
dc.identifier.email | Ip, P: patricip@hku.hk | - |
dc.identifier.authority | Ip, P=rp01337 | - |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-319307 | - |
dc.identifier.hkuros | 340384 | - |
dc.identifier.spage | bjophthalmol | - |
dc.identifier.epage | 2021 | - |
dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000727749000001 | - |