Association Between Dietary Patterns and Myopia Among Children and Adolescents: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study

The myopia rate has increased rapidly worldwide, yet evidence regarding the association between dietary factors and myopia remains limited. This study assessed the association between dietary patterns and myopia among children and adolescents.

This study used the Child and Adolescent Research of Eye data between August and October 2022. Myopia was defined based on uncorrected visual acuity and noncycloplegic refraction. Dietary assessment was parent-reported via a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Principal component analysis was used to extract dietary patterns. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and myopia.

A total of 24,797 participants were included in the analysis. Controlling for confounders, the highest adherence to nuts-tubers vegetables pattern (characterized by high intake of nuts, tubers vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and aquatic products) was associated with a decreased risk of myopia compared with the lowest adherence (odds ratio [OR] = 0.933, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.872 to 0.999, p = 0.046). Conversely, the highest adherence to snacks pattern (characterized by high intake of fried and barbecued, fast foods and savoury snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and processed meats) was associated with an increased risk of myopia (OR = 1.083, 95% CI: 1.012 to 1.158, p = 0.021).

These findings indicate a link between dietary patterns and myopia in children and adolescents. Dietary modification could be a potential public health measure for the primary prevention of childhood myopia.