Impacts of environments on school myopia by spatial analysis techniques in Wuhan

The prevalence of myopia in China has increased significantly in recent years, and the age of onset has become younger. Previous studies have indicated that various environmental factors can influence the development of school myopia. However, the environmental impacts on school myopia remains to be investigated. Discoveries in this field may contribute to better urban planning. This study involved 7,610 students (aged 6-12 years, 4084 boys and 3526 girls) from six primary schools in Wuhan, China. We evaluated the associations between school myopia and the environment by analyzing the geographical distribution of myopic children. We utilized the spatial statistical analysis model. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) risk coefficient for a 5,000-m radius around target schools was 0.379 (p = 0.008), while the NDVI risk coefficient for a 100-m radius around target schools was 0.241 (p = 0.047). The sports area risk coefficient for a 5,000-m radius around target schools was 0.234 (p = 0.016). We found that the specific buffers of NDVI and sports area around schools were associated with the prevalence of school myopia in schools, which worth further research to guide future initiatives on school myopia from an environmental perspective.