Determinants of Myopia among School-Going Children: A Questionnaire-Based Assessment of Risk Factors in North India Determinants of Myopia among School-Going Children
Journal of Ophthalmic and Optometric Sciences,
Vol. 9 No. 4 (2025),
23 September 2025
,
Page 1-9
https://doi.org/10.22037/joos.v9i4.50984
Abstract
Purpose: To assess risk factors associated with high myopia among school-going children in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, attending a tertiary eye care hospital.
Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 386 patients younger than 18 years diagnosed with myopia. A pre-validated questionnaire was administered through interviews; for children under 6 years, responses were obtained from parents. Information was collected on demographics, duration of spectacle use, study hours at school and home, near-work activities, and daily outdoor activity. Logistic regression was used to analyze potential risk factors, and results were reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: High myopia was present in 10.9% (n = 42) of participants. Most children with high myopia (69.04%) attended private schools. A positive parental history of spectacle use was significantly associated with high myopia (p = 0.03). Studying or reading for more than 4 hours per day (p = 0.01) and playing video or mobile games for more than 2 hours daily (p = 0.001) were positively associated with high myopia. Outdoor activity for more than 2 hours per day showed an inverse association, with fewer children with high myopia engaging in extended outdoor play.
Conclusion: Our results indicate statistical associations between behavioral patterns, environmental exposures, and high myopia in school-going children. These associations should be interpreted with caution given the hospital-based, cross-sectional design. Identifying potentially modifiable behaviors may inform preventive strategies, though longitudinal studies are required to establish temporal or causal relationships.
- Myopia
- Risk Factors
- Child
- Adolescent
- Schools
- Northern India
How to Cite
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