Abstract
Purpose
To determine the prevalence of self-reported myopia nationwide in Taiwan and its association with degrees of urbanization and education levels.
Methods
Data were obtained from the 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey, a nationwide survey using multistage stratified systematic sampling. The presence of myopia, current residential areas, and education levels were ascertained by a structured questionnaire in participants ≥12 years of age.
Results
A total of 20 609 eligible persons were included in this study. The overall weighted prevalence of myopia in Taiwan was 46.7% (95% confidence interval: 45.9, 47.5%). The prevalence of myopia for persons aged 12–19, 20–39, 40–64, and ≥65 years was 70.3%, 65.4%, 30.4%, and 5.6%, respectively. Women had significantly higher rates of myopia than men for persons younger than 40 years of age (P<0.001). Myopia was significantly associated with both higher degrees of urbanization of current residential areas and higher education levels (both P<0.001). In young adult and adult groups, the effect of education levels on myopia was stronger than that of degrees of urbanization.
Conclusion
The study provides a nation-wide prevalence data on myopia in Taiwan. Both degrees of urbanization and education levels are risk factors for myopia.
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Acknowledgements
The data used in this study were from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan funded by the National Health Research Institutes and the Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health, Taiwan.
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Guo, YH., Lin, HY., Lin, L. et al. Self-reported myopia in Taiwan: 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. Eye 26, 684–689 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2012.9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2012.9
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