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Design and methodology of the Shanghai child and adolescent large-scale eye study (SCALE)
Xiangui He1,2, Rong Zhao1, Padmaja Sankaridurg3,4
1Department of Preventative Ophthalmology, Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center, Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Importance:
Nearly half of children suffering vision impairment reside in China with myopia accounting for the vast majority.
Background:
To describe the design and methodology of the Shanghai Child and Adolescent Large-scale Eye Study (SCALE).
Design:
The SCALE was a city wide, school-based, prospective survey.
Participants:
Children and adolescents aged 4-14 years from kindergarten (middle and senior), primary schools and junior high schools of all 17 districts and counties of the city of Shanghai, China were examined in 2012-2013.
Methods:
Each enrolled child underwent vision assessment (distance visual acuity; uncorrected and with corrective device if worn) and their parent/carer completed a questionnaire designed to elicit risk factors associated with myopia. Additionally, non-cycloplegic autorefraction and ocular axial length was measured in a subset of the larger sample.
Main Outcome Measures:
Prevalence and the associated factors of vision impairment, myopia and high myopia in Shanghai.
Results:
In 2012-2013, a total of 910 245 of the eligible 1 196 763 children and adolescents identified from census (76%, mean age 9.0 ± 2.7 years [4-14 years]) were enrolled with visual acuity screened in the city of Shanghai. Of these, 610 952 children (67% of the entire sample) underwent non-cycloplegic autorefraction and 219 188 (24% of the entire sample) had both non-cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length measurements.
Conclusions And Relevance:
The study results will provide insights on the burden of vision impairment, myopia and high myopia in children and adolescents in a metropolitan area of China, and contribute to the policies and strategies to address and limit the burden.
