Prevalence of myopia in local and international schools in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate genetic and environmental influences on physiological myopia by studying the difference in myopia prevalence between local schools and international schools in Hong Kong.


METHODS
Vision screening was carried out in local and international schools for students 13 to 15 years old. Types of refractive error were identified by visual acuity measurement, the presence of spectacles, a simple refraction, and the use of plus and minus ophthalmic lenses.


RESULTS
Three local schools and six international schools participated in the study. Two hundred eighty-nine students were from the local schools, and 789 students were from the international schools. Prevalence of myopia at the local schools ranged from 85 to 88%, whereas it ranged from 60 to 66% in the international schools. Students in the international schools were subdivided into Chinese origin, white, mixed Chinese, and Asian. Prevalence of myopia was highest in the Chinese group (82.8%) and lowest in the white group (40.5%). There was no age or gender difference in the prevalence of myopia.


CONCLUSIONS
Hong Kong Chinese students had a higher prevalence of myopia regardless of whether they studied in local or international schools when compared with other ethnic groups, such as whites. This further supports a genetic input into myopia development.
Lam
Carly Siu Yin
CS
Centre for Myopia Research, Department of Optometry and Radiography, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. orcarly@polyu.edu.hk
Goldschmidt
Ernst
E
Edwards
Marion H
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods; D014792:Visual Acuity