Background: To assess the current myopia prevalence rate and evaluate the effect of sunshine duration on myopia among primary school students in the north and south of China.
Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study pooled data from 9171 primary school students (grades from 1 to 6) from four cities in the north and south of China. National Geomatics Center of China (NGCC) and China Meteorological Administration provided data about altitude, latitude, longitude, average annual temperature, and average annual sunshine duration. Non-cycloplegic refraction was recorded, and prevalence rates in primary school students and factors associated with myopia were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the independent association of risk factors of myopia.
Results: The overall myopia prevalence was 28.0%, from 7.5% to 50.6% for first and sixth grades, respectively. Low, moderate and high myopia significantly increased with school grades from 7.30% to 35.0%, 0.3% to 13.60% and 0.00% to 1.9%, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that longer average cumulative daylight hours were connected to lower myopia prevalence in primary school students (OR, 0.721; 95% CI, [0.593– 0.877]; P=0.001), whereas girls and higher grade was independently associated with higher myopia prevalence (girls: β=0.189; OR, 1.208; 95% CI, [1.052– 1.387]; P=0.007; higher grade: β=0.502; OR, 1.652; 95% CI, [1.580– 1.726]; P< 0.001).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that myopia was highly prevalent in southern Chinese cities over northern ones, linked to shorter light exposure, higher education level, and female gender. Such findings reinforced the beneficial impact of daylight exposure with a protective role against myopia development.
Keywords: myopia, epidemiology, sunshine duration, China