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Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:620-627.

Objective  To investigate the relationship among near-work activity, night-lights, and myopia in schoolchildren in Singapore and Xiamen, China.

Methods  The refractive error and ocular dimensions of 957 Chinese schoolchildren aged 7 to 9 years in Singapore and Xiamen, China, were determined using cycloplegic autorefraction and A-scan ultrasound biometry. Information on near-work activity (number of books read per week, reading in hours per day) and night-light use before age 2 years was obtained.

Results  The prevalence rate of myopia was 36.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.0%-40.3%) in Singapore and 18.5% (95% CI, 14.0%-23.1%) in Xiamen, China. The crude odds ratio (OR) of higher myopia (at least –3.0 diopters) for children who read more than 2 books per week was 3.50 (95% CI, 2.15-5.70). In a multivariate logistic regression model, the OR of higher myopia for children who read more was 2.81 (95% CI, 1.69-4.69), adjusted for age, night-light use, parental myopia, and country, whereas there was no association between night-light use before age 2 years and higher myopia (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.92-2.58), after controlling for age, books read per week, parental myopia, and country.

Main Outcome Measures  The ORs of higher myopia for children who read more and children who are exposed to night-lights before age 2 years.

Conclusions  Reading (number of books per week) may be associated with higher myopia in Chinese schoolchildren. However, night-light use does not seem to be related to higher myopia.

Seang-Mei Saw, MBBS, MPH, PhD; Ming-Zhi Zhang, MBBS; Rong-Zhao Hong, MBBS; Zhi- Fu Fu, MBBS; Mei-Hua Pang, MBBS; Donald T. H. Tan, FRCS, FRCOphth
From the Department of Community, Occupational, and Family Medicine (Dr Saw), Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore (Drs Saw and Tan), and Xiamen Eye Institute (Drs Zhang, Hong, Fu, and Pang), Xiamen, China.

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