Biomaterial Database

Effects of outdoor activities on myopia among rural school children in Taiwan. 2010

Pei-Chang Wu, and Chia-Ling Tsai, and Chia-Huo Hu, and Yi-Hsin Yang

Department of Opthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE The aim was to identify the prevalence and risk factors of myopia among elementary school students in a rural area of Taiwan. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted. Elementary school students aged 7-12 years were recruited from the two schools located on Chimei Island. Data were obtained by means of a parent questionnaire and ocular evaluations that included axial length and cycloplegic autorefraction. RESULTS One hundred and forty five students were recruited for this study. Myopia prevalence was 31%. In univariate analysis, myopia was significantly associated with school year, myopic parent, and watching television (TV) (P < .0001, =0.007 and =0.029, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that myopia was significantly associated with school year and myopic parent. However, the effect of watching TV was not statistically significant (P=0.059). Outdoor activity showed significance and was inversely associated with myopia (Odds Ratio [OR]=0.3, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=0.1-0.9, P=0.025). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that outdoor activities might be an important protecting factor for myopia in rural school children.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007899	Leisure Activities	Voluntary use of free time for activities outside the daily routine.	Leisure,Activities, Leisure,Activity, Leisure,Leisure Activity,Leisures
D008297	Male		Males
D009216	Myopia	A refractive error in which rays of light entering the EYE parallel to the optic axis are brought to a focus in front of the RETINA when accommodation (ACCOMMODATION, OCULAR) is relaxed. This results from an overly curved CORNEA or from the eyeball being too long from front to back. It is also called nearsightedness.	Nearsightedness,Myopias,Nearsightednesses
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002652	Child Behavior	Any observable response or action of a child from 24 months through 12 years of age. For neonates or children younger than 24 months, INFANT BEHAVIOR is available.	Behavior, Child
D003430	Cross-Sectional Studies	Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time.	Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor