Relative fat mass and myopia in adolescents: a cross-sectional study using NHANES data

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Public Health

Background:

• Adolescence is a critical period for myopia onset, influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors.
• Relative fat mass (RFM) is a precise indicator of adiposity, but its link to adolescent myopia is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between relative fat mass (RFM) and myopia in adolescents.
• To explore potential differences in this association based on sex and socioeconomic status.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 8746 adolescents (aged 12-19) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2008).
• Defined myopia as spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ -1.0 D.
• Employed weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic splines, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses with broader myopia criteria (SE ≤ -0.75 D, SE ≤ -0.50 D).

Main Results:

• Increased RFM was significantly associated with higher odds of myopia in adolescents, even after adjusting for confounders.
• Each one-standard-deviation increase in RFM correlated with a 12% increase in myopia odds (OR=1.12).
• The association was more pronounced in males and low-income populations, with robust findings across sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

• Elevated relative fat mass (RFM) is a significant risk factor for myopia development in adolescents.
• Targeted interventions focusing on weight management, healthy lifestyles, and eye care are recommended, especially for at-risk male and low-income adolescents.
• Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these findings.