Ocular Surface Health in Myopic School-Age Children: An Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Pediatric eye care

Background:

• Myopia is a growing public health concern in children.
• Ocular surface health, including tear film quality, is crucial for visual comfort and function.
• Understanding tear film characteristics in myopic children is essential for early detection and management of potential complications like dry eye.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the tear film and ocular surface parameters in schoolchildren diagnosed with myopia.
• To identify factors influencing these parameters, including age, sex, and myopia severity.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 224 myopic schoolchildren aged 7-14 years.
• Assessment of ocular surface disease using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.
• Measurement of tear volume (strip meniscometry tube [SMTube], Schirmer I test) and ocular surface parameters (non-invasive first break time [NIBUTf], mean break time [NIBUTav], tear meniscus height [TMH], lipid layer thickness [LLTav], meibomian gland atrophy [MGA], blink frequency [BF], blink quality [BQ]) using an IDRA ocular surface analyzer.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in NIBUTf, NIBUTav, and LLTav were observed between sexes (p < 0.05).
• TMH varied significantly with age group (p = 0.001).
• Age, SMTube, and Schirmer values correlated significantly with OSDI scores (p < 0.05).
• No significant differences in tear parameters were found across different myopia severity groups.

Conclusions:

• Approximately 25% of myopic schoolchildren exhibit dry eye symptoms, predominantly linked to reduced tear volume.
• Tear film quality and quantity are significantly influenced by age and sex.
• Myopia severity was not found to be significantly associated with tear film parameters in this cohort.