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Choroidal thickness and associated factors in children: the Ufa Children Eye Study
Mukharram M Bikbov1, Gyulli M Kazakbaeva1, Ellina M Iakupova1
1Ufa Eye Research Institute, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation.
Insights
Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in Russian children increases with age and is associated with ocular and systemic factors. Thicker SFCT correlated with longer axial length, a finding more pronounced than in adult studies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Retinal Imaging
Background:
- Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) is a key indicator of ocular health.
- Understanding SFCT variations in pediatric populations is crucial for early detection of eye conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in Russian school children.
- To identify associations between SFCT and various systemic and ocular parameters in this population.
Main Methods:
- The Ural Children Eye Study (UCES) involved 4933 children (aged 6.2-18.8 years) in Russia.
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed on a subgroup (n=1462) to measure SFCT.
- Multivariable analysis was used to determine associations with systemic and ocular factors.
Main Results:
- Mean SFCT was 322±82 µm, with thicker SFCT associated with older age and taller stature.
- SFCT decreased significantly with longer axial length (approx. 47 µm per mm increase).
- Associations were also found with school start times, rest during study, and bedtime.
Conclusions:
- In Russian children, SFCT increases with age, unlike in some adult studies.
- The inverse relationship between SFCT and axial length is more pronounced in children than adults.
- SFCT is influenced by a combination of developmental, systemic, and ocular factors in pediatric populations.
Background:
To assess subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and its associations in school children in a Russian population.
Methods:
The Ural Children Eye Study (UCES), a school-based case-control study, was performed in Ufa/Bashkortostan/Russia from 2019 to 2022 and included 4933 children (mean age: 9.7±2.6 years; range: 6.2-18.8 years). The children underwent a series of ophthalmological and systemic examinations. Optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images of the macula were obtained in a randomly selected subgroup.
Results:
Out of 4933 children primarily participating in the UCES, a randomly selected group of 1462 (29.6%) children underwent OCT. Thicker SFCT (mean: 322±82 µm; median: 317 µm; range: 105-691 µm) was associated (multivariable analysis) with the systemic parameters of older age (beta: 0.15; B: 3.99; 95% CI 0.91, 7.08; p=0.01), taller body height (beta: 0.17; B: 0.78; 95% CI 0.27, 1.29; p=0.003), earlier school start in the morning (beta: -0.07; B: -5.60; 95% CI -9.42, -1.88; p=0.004), lower prevalence of actively resting during studying (beta: -0.06; B: -8.80; 95% CI -15.6, -1.98; p=0.01) and earlier time of going to bed in the evening (beta: -0.07; B: -0.68; 95% CI -1.20, -0.15; p=0.01), and the ocular parameters of shorter axial length (beta: -0.59; B: -46.8; 95% CI -53.0, -40.5; p<0.001), lower corneal refractive power (beta: -0.18; B: -10.3; 95% CI -23.9, -6.81; p<0.001) and deeper anterior chamber depth (beta: 0.12; B: 36.4; 95% CI 17.7, 55.2; p<0.001). It was not significantly associated with sex (p=0.87), body Mass Index (p=0.88) and best-corrected visual acuity (p=0.18). Mean inter-eye SFCT difference (39.3±35.5 µm; median: 30 µm; range: 0.00-259 µm) was related with inter-eye difference in axial length (beta: -0.29; B: -57.1; 95% CI -66.9, -47.4; p<0.001).
Conclusions:
In this ethnically mixed school children population from Russia, in contrast to studies on adult individuals, SFCT increased with older age. As in adults, however, at a more marked degree compared with adults, it decreased with longer axial length, by approximately 47 µm for each mm of longer axial length in multivariable analysis.
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