title: Housing type and myopia: the mediating role of parental myopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myopia has become a significant global public health concern, and is highly prevalent worldwide especially in Asian countries. It is associated with genetic factors as well as socioeconomic status; however, the underlying cause for school myopia has not been established. This study evaluates the impact of living environment on school myopia in Chinese school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large cross-sectional sample of area- and ethnicity-matched school children; a total of 43, 771 children from 12 cities participated in this study. The presence of myopia was self-reported and potential risk factors were determined by questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The self-reported prevalence of myopia in Chinese children was 31.8 % (n = 13, 928). In multiple logistic regression analysis, higer risk of myopia among school-aged children was significantly positively associated with both parental myopia (OR = 3.57; 95 % CI: 3.26-3.90), living in 1-3 floor (OR = 1.28; 95 % CI: 2.57-3.15), 4-6 floor (OR = 1.84; 95 % CI: 1.73-1.95) and 7 floor or more (OR = 2.02; 95 % CI: 1.88-2.16). Particularly, housing type was independently associated with myopia after stratified by parental myopia. An increasing prevalence of myopia was found with increasing floor of housing type in each outdoor time group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Housing type was independently associated with myopia, after stratified by parental myopia. Flat room, lower living floor and more outdoor time may be protective factors for myopia among school-aged children in mainland China.
authors: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China.
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
authors: Guopeng
authors: G
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China.
authors: Juxiang
authors: J
authors: Jin
authors: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China.
authors: Wenjuan
authors: W
authors: Hua
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
authors: Liming
authors: L
authors: Tao
authors: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China.
authors: Shaojun
authors: S
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230032, China. fbtao@ahmu.edu.cn.
authors: Fangbiao
authors: F
authors: Tao
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011998:Recreation; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Housing type; Myopia; School-aged children