[Correlation analysis between myopia growth and physical development parameters of school-age children in Shihezi...

Objective: To study the correlation between myopia growth and physical development of primary school student in Shihezi area of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by measuring the ocular biometry and physical parameters of the eye, and to provide an objective basis for the development of myopia prevention and control. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. The Grade 1-6 students from 33 schools in Shihezi area were randomly selected in October 2023. The children were classified according to age into the low age group (6-9 years) and the high age group (10-13 years).The children's height, weight, axial length (AL), maximum keratometry (steepest keratometry, K1), and minimum keratometry (flattest keratometry, K1) were measured. The body mass index (BMI), keratometric astigmatism (ΔK), mean keratometry (K), corneal radius (CR) and AL/CR were calculated. Correlation analyses were performed between ocular biometry and physical parameters. LASSO regression analysis was used to screen the best variables, and linear regression models were constructed after adjusting for confounding factors of age and sex. Results: A total of 3 986 children aged 6-13 years were included in this study, including 2 094 boys (52.53%) and 1 892 girls (47.47%); 2 162 in the lower age group and 1 824 in the upper age group. Girls had higher K, ΔK and AL/CR values than boys (43.38 D vs 42.7 D, t=-7.84,P<0.01; 1.1 D vs 1.01 D, t=-2.14,P=0.03; 2.97 vs 2.96, t=3.32,P=0.02). Boys had higher AL, height, weight and BMI than girls (23.47 mm vs 23.02 mm, t=13.77,P<0.01; 1.34 m vs 1.33 m, t=3.02,P=0.03; 32 kg vs 29.5 kg, t=7.82,P<0.01; 17.4 vs 16.52, t=10.36, P<0.01). LASSO regression was used to screen the 3 physical parameter variables (height, weight, and BMI) to determine that height was the best physical parameter variable for AL/CR. After adjusting for confounders, it was shown that in the low age group (6-9 years), there was a significant positive correlation between children's height and AL/CR (b=0.174, 95%CI: 0.106 to 0.241, P<0.001), whereas in the high age group (10-13 years), there was no correlation between children's height and AL/CR (b=0.086, 95%CI:-0.038 to 0.21, P=0.174). Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between height and myopia growth in the lower age group of children in Shihezi area, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; there was no correlation between height and myopia growth in the higher age group.