Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the effect of wearing low-degree convex spectacle when reading on myopia prevention among school students. Design Prospective cohort study. Participants The high risk students (1-5 grade) with uncorrected visual acuity ≥ 4.7 and －1.0D ≤ the spherical equivalent refraction of right eye ≤ 2.0D. 286 students were selected as Intervention group to wear low-degree convex spectacle when reading. 308 students with no intervention were selected as the control group. The average age for the two groups were (7.81±1.48) and (8.44±1.59) years old, respectively. Methods 594 cases of school students were measured twice (at the end of 2010 and 2011) for refractive error. According to the examination results (data of the right eye), outcome indicators were the variation of spherical equivalence in the right eye and incidence of myopia. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to evaluate the effect of wearing low-degree convex spectacle when reading on myopia prevention. Subgroup analysis by gender and grade (1-3 grade versus 4-5 grade) were also conducted. Main Outcome Measures Spherical equivalence in the right eye. Results The changed values of spherical equivalence in the intervention group were (-0.35±0.76)D, significantly lower than(-0.56±0.71)D in the control group(P=0.004). Results from the subgroup analysis showed the intervention was significant among girls (P=0.003) and among students of 1-3 grade (P<0.001). At the end of 2011, the incidence of myopia was 14.3% for intervention group and 29.5% for control group, respectively. Compared to control group, the OR value of the incidence of myopia in the intervention group was 0.593 (95%CI=0.371~0.946). According to the gender stratification, the OR value of the incidence of myopia in the intervention group was 0.704 (95%CI=0.358~1.385) for boys and 0.450 (95%CI=0.227~0.894) for girls. According to the grade stratification, the OR value of the incidence of myopia in the intervention group was 0.440 (95%CI=0.238~0.813) for students of 1-3 grade and 1.143 (95%CI=0.478~2.731) for students of 4-5 grade. Conclusion Wearing low-degree convex glasses when reading, especially for girls and for lower grade students, can slow the exacerbation of myopia and reduce the incidence of myopia. （Ophthalmol CHN， 2016, 25： 294－298）

Key words: myopia, interventional study, low-degree spectacle, school students