Abstract

Volume.125 Number.12

Original article : Clinical science

Myopia Progression in School-age Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Kyoto Childhood Refractive Error Study (KRES)
Yo Nakamura1,2, Osamu Hieda1, Yoshinori Nakai1, Satoshi Teramukai3, Chie Sotozono1, Shigeru Kinoshita4
1 Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
2 Department of Medical Welfare, Osaka University of Human Science
3 Department of Biostatistics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
4 Department of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate possible alterations in the rate of myopia progression among school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This study included 387 school-age children (196 males and 191 females) in Grades 1 (n=61), 2 (n=67), 3 (n=78), 4 (n=56), 5 (n=69), and 6 (n=56) in 2017 who could be followed up for 4 years thereafter. The study parameters were noncycloplegic refractive error measured using the WR-5100 K binocular auto ref/keratometer (SHIGIYA) and axial length measured using IOL Master 500 (Carl Zeiss). Refractive errors in the final year of the study (2019-2020) were compared with those in the previous years.
Results: Among the children who were in Grade 3 in 2017, the refractive errors in 2019-2020 were, on average, 0.25 D more myopic than those in the previous years (2017-2018: -0.35±0.62 D, 2018-2019: -0.27±0.58 D, 2019-2020: -0.56±0.53 D; p=0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Similarly, the changes in axial length in 2019-2020 were significantly higher than those in previous years (2017-2018: 0.22±0.16 mm, 2018-2019: 0.22±0.19 mm, 2019-2020: 0.27±0.18 mm; p=0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Among children who were in Grades 1 and 2 in 2017, significant differences were noted in refractive errors and the axial length between the values of 2018-2019 and those of 2019-2020 (p<0.025, respectively).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the rate of myopia progression has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily in the elementary school-age children.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 125: 1093-1098, 2021.

Key words
COVID-19, Myopia in school-age children, Binocular auto ref/keratometer, Axial length
Reprint requests to
Yo Nakamura, M. D., Ph. D. Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine. 465 Kajii-cho, Hirokoji-agaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, 602-0841, Japan