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Development and validation of a questionnaire-based myopia proxy in adults: the LifeLines Cohort Study
Nigus G Asefa1, Anna Neustaeter2, Jelle Vehof2
1Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands n.g.asefa@umcg.nl.
The British Journal of Ophthalmology
|March 11, 2022
Summary
A new questionnaire effectively identifies myopia cases in large populations. This proxy tool shows strong associations with educational attainment and genetic predisposition, aiding myopia research.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Genetics
- Public Health
Background:
- Myopia, a common refractive error, poses a significant public health challenge.
- Accurate identification of myopia cases in population-based studies is crucial for understanding its prevalence and risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a questionnaire-based proxy for identifying myopia.
- To assess the association of this proxy with educational attainment and a Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) for myopia.
Main Methods:
- Principal component analysis (PCA) was used on responses from five refraction-status questions in 77,096 Dutch adults.
- Logistic regression validated the proxy against measured refractive state in a subset.
- The proxy's association with educational attainment and myopia PRS was examined.
Main Results:
- The developed proxy demonstrated high specificity (91.9%) and sensitivity (90.4%) for myopia.
- Proxy-inferred myopia prevalence was 33.8%.
- Higher educational attainment and higher myopia PRS were significantly associated with increased odds of proxy-inferred myopia.
Conclusions:
- Self-administered questions about refractive error can effectively identify myopia cases in population studies.
- This proxy tool offers a valuable method for myopia research and public health surveillance.
