The multi-ethnic pediatric eye disease study: design and methods.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the study design of the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study (MEPEDS).


METHODS
The objectives of the MEPEDS are to: (1) estimate age- and ethnicity-specific prevalence of strabismus, amblyopia, and refractive error; (2) evaluate the association of selected risk factors with these ocular disorders; and (3) evaluate the association of ocular conditions on limitations in health-related functional status in a population-based sample of 12,000 children aged 6-72 months from four ethnic groups--African-American, Asian-American, Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanic White. Each eligible child undergoes an eye examination, which includes an interview with his/her parent. The interview includes an assessment of demographic, behavioral, biological, and ocular risk factors and health-related functional status. The examination includes fixation preference testing, visual acuity, stereoacuity, axial length measurement, cycloplegic refraction, keratometry, eye alignment, and anterior and posterior segment examination.
Varma
Rohit
R
Doheny Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9224, USA. rvarma@usc.edu
Deneen
Jennifer
J
Cotter
Susan
S
Paz
Sylvia H
SH
Azen
Stanley P
SP
Tarczy-Hornoch
Kristina
K
Zhao
Peng
P
D000550:Amblyopia / Q000208:ethnology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000208:ethnology*; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D013285:Strabismus / Q000208:ethnology*