Development pattern of ocular biometric parameters and refractive error in young Chinese adults: a longitudinal study of first-year university students.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study without a separate control group
PubMed 35568890 · doi:10.1186/s12886-022-02440-9
What was done
A prospective longitudinal study tracked 526 first-year students at Tianjin Medical University (mean age 18.34 years; 313 females, 213 males) annually from 2016 to 2018. The researchers performed annual ocular biometry and subjective refraction and collected demographic information and near-work behaviors (reading, writing, electronic device use, online gaming) through self-administered questionnaires.
What was found
Total myopia prevalence changed from 92.40% to 92.97%, while high myopia prevalence rose significantly from 20.91% to 28.33% (P < .001). Mean spherical equivalent refraction progressed from -4.18 ± 2.44 D to -4.56 ± 2.57 D (-0.38 D shift; P < .001). Axial length, central corneal thickness, and lens thickness changed significantly (all P < .05), with axial length increasing by 0.12 mm across two years (P < .001). Spending more time on online games was linked to faster myopia progression (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.33 to 3.29; P < .05).
Why it matters
The findings confirm that axial elongation and high myopia progression continue actively into university years in Chinese young adults, highlighting ongoing adult visual vulnerability.
Limits
Single-institution cohort of medical students limits generalizability to broader young adult populations. Near-work activities and screen time were self-reported via questionnaires rather than objectively tracked. Refraction was determined through subjective testing rather than cycloplegic autorefraction.
Cited by
- supports Excessive close-distance viewing during development through the mid-20s alters eyeball shape and contributes to the development of myopia.