The Sydney Myopia Study: Prevalence and risk factors for myopia and other eye conditions in school-age children.

这项研究旨在确定澳大利亚年轻人近视程度增加的确切程度，以及其他可治疗的眼部疾病的频率，如单眼视力下降（弱视）和斜视。我们还旨在详细检查与近视相关的风险因素，如父母近视，生活条件和教育压力，特别是与阅读和其他形式的近距离工作相关的因素。对导致近视患病率增加的因素的进一步了解可能有助于设计预防策略，从而限制澳大利亚未来近视发生率的增加。近视的患病率在世界范围内不断增加。在许多亚洲国家，它在受过教育的年轻人中已达到流行病的比例（80-90%）。在许多其他国家，近一半的年轻人现在患有近视。来自蓝山眼科研究和墨尔本老年人视力障碍项目的数据表明，澳大利亚近视的患病率正在增加。与我们最近在学童中进行的试验性研究比较，近视患病率在近几十年增加了2至3倍。近视或近视现在是五大致盲原因之一。在近视患病率高的国家，它是前三名之一。近视需要昂贵的光学和/或手术矫正屈光不正的视觉功能。不幸的是，矫正并不能防止近视并发症造成的视力障碍和失明。在晚年，即使是轻度近视也会增加青光眼和白内障的风险。因此，由于眼疾的负担和受近视相关的低视力或失明影响的人的支持成本，近视带来了额外的主要健康成本。随着近视患病率的增加，澳大利亚近视的医疗保健费用可能会继续上升。

This study aims to establish the exact extent of increasing levels of myopia in young Australians and the frequency of other treatable eye conditions such as reduced vision in one eye (amblyopia) and squint. We also aim to exam in detail, risk factors associated with myopia, such as parental myopia, living conditions and educational pressures, particularly those associated with reading and other forms of near-work. Increased understanding of factors leading to increasing myopia prevalence may enable design of preventive strategies that could limit future increases in the ocurrence of myopia in Australia. The prevalence of myopia is increasing world-wide. In many Asian countries, it has reached epidemic proportions (80-90%) in young, educated people. In many other countries close to half the younger population is now short-sighted. Data from the Blue Mountains Eye Study and Melbourne Visual Impairment Project in older persons have suggested that the prevalence of myopia is increasing in Australia. Comparison with our recent pilot study on school children indicates that myopia prevalence has increased 2 to 3-fold in recent decades. Myopia or short-sightedness is now one of the five major causes of blindness. In countries where the prevalence of myopia is high, it is one of the top three. Myopia requires expensive optical and-or surgical correction of the refractive error for visual functioning. Unfortunately correction does not prevent the development of visual impairment and blindness from complications of myopia. Late in life, even low myopia is associated with an increased risk of both glaucoma and cataract. Myopia therefore imposes additional major health costs because of the burden of eye disease and the support costs for people affected by myopia-associated low vision or blindness. With increasing prevalence, the health care costs of myopia are likely to continue to rise in Australia.