High Prevalence of Astigmatism in Children after School Suspension during the Covid-19 Pandemic Is Associated with Axial Elongation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15715227 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Suei-Cheng Wong (0000-0002-2171-8391, Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), 17W Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong), Chea‐su Kee (0000-0002-5177-129X, Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Chea-Su Kee (Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), 17W Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong), Tsz-Wing Leung (0000-0001-9588-2891, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 919-919 |
| Publication date | 2022-06-19 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Children (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/children9060919 |
| PMID | 35740857 |
| OpenAlex | W4283118893 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 32 |
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Government enforced a “school from home” policy between February and September 2020. This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of astigmatism and visual habits after the home confinement period. Vision screenings were conducted at three local government-funded primary schools in Hong Kong from October 2020 to December 2020. A total of 418 ethnically Chinese primary school children completed the eye examination and returned questionnaires concerning demographic information and visual habits. It was found that 46.5% (95% CI, 41.7−61.4%) of the children aged 8 to 11 years had astigmatism ≥ 0.75 D, which was predominately With-The-Rule astigmatism. The prevalence of astigmatism reported in these children is generally higher than that of studies conducted before COVID. Compared to their non-astigmatic peers, astigmatic children had a longer axial length (p < 0.001) and engaged in fewer outdoor activities (p = 0.04). Multiple linear regression analyses also revealed significant relationships between axial length and both cylindrical error and J0 astigmatism. Due to the high astigmatism prevalence, there is a pressing need for further studies on the long-term impact of the pandemic on children’s vision
Astigmatism · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Eye examination · Government (linguistics · Pandemic · Physics · Refractive error · Sociology · Visual acuity · Corneal surgery and disorders · Demography · Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders · Medicine · Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies · Epidemiology · Ophthalmology · Optometry · Pediatrics
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |