The high prevalence of myopia in Korean children with influence of parental refractive errors: The 2008-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of parental refractive errors on myopic children in Korean families using a nationally representative survey. We used the ophthalmologic examination dataset of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys IV and V, a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study using a complex, stratified, multistage, probability cluster survey, which were performed from 2008-2012. We included 3,862 children from 5-18 years of age from 2,344 families without any ocular trauma, surgical history, or cataract affecting refractive errors. The generalized estimating equation was conducted to assess the association of refractive errors among children and their parents. Among 3,862 children, 2,495 had myopia, which was 64.6% prevalence. There were 208 children with high myopia (5.4%). The prevalence rate ratio (PRR) for pediatric myopia and high myopia with myopic parents was 1.34 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.24-1.45) and 3.11 (95% CI 1.93-5.01), respectively. The PRR of myopia and high myopia in children significantly increased to 1.37 (95% CI 1.04-1.81) and 11.41 (95% CI 6.24-20.88), as the degree of parental myopia increased (P < 0.001, respectively). Children with two myopic parents were more myopic than those with only one myopic parent (P < 0.001, respectively). In addition to parental myopia, the age of the child and household income were also significant risk factors for all degrees of pediatric myopia in a family (P ≤ 0.005, respectively). In conclusion, Korean children showed high prevalence of myopia. Children with myopic parents showed a significantly greater risk for myopia and high myopia.

Fig 1. Identification of eligible participants from the 2008–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

KNHANES = Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; *The participants’ ages were not counted in Korean age, but in full. ^†All types of surgery, including patients with pseudophakia, aphakia, or any history of refractive surgery. ^‡Participants with cataract and a visual acuity of 20/25 or worse as assessed using a Snellen chart.