title: Prevalence of refractive errors in teenage high school students in Singapore.
abstract: We aimed to study the prevalence of refractive conditions in Singapore teenagers. Grade 9 and 10 students (n = 946) aged 15-19 years from two secondary schools in Singapore were recruited. The refractive errors of the students' eyes were measured using non-cycloplegic autorefraction. Sociodemographic data and information on risk factors for myopia (such as reading and writing) were also obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of refractive conditions was found to be: myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) at least -0.50 D] - 73.9%, hyperopia (SE at least +0.50 D) - 1.5%, astigmatism (cylinder at least -0.50 D) - 58.7% and anisometropia (SE difference at least 1.00 D) - 11.2%. After adjusting for age and gender, currently doing more than 20.5 h of reading and writing a week was found to be positively associated with myopia [odds ratio 1.12 (95% CI 1.04-1.20, p = 0.003)], as was reading and writing at a close distance and a better educational stream. The prevalence of myopia (73.9%) in Singapore teenagers is high. Current reading and writing habits, reading at close distances and a better educational stream are possible risk factors for myopia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Timothy P L
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Quek
authors.forename: Choon Guan
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Choon Seng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Hwee Weng
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Hey
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yee Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015858:Anisometropia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011932:Reading; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires