Low prevalence of myopia among school children in rural China

Abstract Background We aim to assess the prevalence of myopia in Chinese school children with low educational pressure and explore which factors could explain the differences in prevalence between generations. Methods A school-based epidemiologic study including 2432 grade 1 and 2346 grade 7 students was conducted from 2016 in rural areas of China. Each participant’s refractive status was measured before and after cycloplegia using an autorefractor and axial length (AL) was measured using an IOL Master. The questionnaires were completed by the parents or legal guardians of the children to collect detailed information regarding risk factors. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent less than − 0.50D. Results Grade 7 students had a higher prevalence of myopia (29.4% vs. 2.4%; P