Affiliation:
1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
2. Private Practice, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE
The progression of myopia increased in children after the pandemic confinement. A myopic shift in the refractive error of the Hispanic population was found regardless of the refractive status of the school-aged children studied.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the refractive error in Puerto Rican children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We were interested in whether there was a significant change in refractive error attributed to online learning during the pandemic lockdown.
METHODS
A retrospective record review of children aged 7 to 18 years who underwent a comprehensive visual evaluation between 2018 and 2021 at the Inter American Eye Institute in Puerto Rico was performed. The spherical equivalent pre- and post-lockdown was compared. The study excluded the best-corrected visual acuities worse than 20/40, any corneal or retinal disease, and amblyopia.
RESULTS
In total, 801 records were included in this study. The mean age was 12.7 ± 3.2 years, with 50.3% male and 49.7% female children. The mean spherical equivalent for the right and left eyes was similar (r = 0.93, P ≤ .001). A significant difference in the mean spherical equivalent was found pre- and post- lockdown (0.22 ± 0.59 D, t
800 = 10.44, P ≤ .001). A myopic shift post-lockdown was significant for all ages except those in the 7- (0.13 ± 0.79 D, t
28 = 0.84, P = .40) and 8-year-old range (0.12 ± 0.65 D, t
40 = 1.22, P = .23), respectively. No significant change was found between sexes before (0.16 ± 0.12 D; t
799 = 1.38, P = .16) and after (0.15 ± 0.13 D; t
799 = 1.19, P = .23) confinement.
CONCLUSIONS
The current study revealed a significant myopic shift in Hispanic school-aged children as a result of the pandemic confinement.
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)