title: The progression of myopia in school age children: data from the Columbia Medical Plan.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical course of myopia in a selected pediatric population. The computerized records of a health maintenance organization provided longitudinal data on 501 children aged 5 to 15 years. We examined the influence of age at diagnosis, gender, race, and initial refraction on progression of myopia. Mean follow-up was 34 months, with 75% of children having follow-up longer than 16 months. The mean rate of myopic progression was greater for children whose myopia was diagnosed at a younger age (5-7 years, -0.56 diopters/year versus 11-15 years, -0.28 diopters/year; p < 0.0001). Children with more than one diopter of myopia at first diagnosis progressed faster than children with less than or equal to one diopter of myopia (mean rate -0.48 diopter/year versus -0.41 diopter/year; p = 0.05). Cumulative event rate curves suggest a gender effect in the prepuberty years of 8 to 10, with myopia progressing faster in girls than boys (p = 0.003). Progression of myopia did not differ between white and non-white children. More rapidly progression of myopia is associated with younger age at initial diagnosis and greater severity of initial myopic refraction.
authors.affiliation: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2510, USA.
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Freidlin
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sperduto
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Strahlman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors