Association of amblyopia and body mass index in children and adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore any association between body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric parameters and amblyopia in children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A total of 82 participants, aged 4–18 years, were included in this cross-sectional, observational study. The anthropometric parameters, which included height, weight, and BMI Z score, were assessed in a subset of amblyopic children and adolescents. We compared these parameters with the healthy age and gender-matched control group. Results: The results revealed that out of all 82 participants, the mean age of 55 amblyopes was 9.11 ± 4.06 years (range, 4–18 years), and that of controls was 8.44 ± 3.69 years (range, 4–17 years). The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of height (cm) and weight (kg) in amblyopia was 129.69 ± 19.01 cm and 29.27 ± 12.01 kg, respectively, and in controls, it was 124.43 ± 13.83 cm (P = 0.159) and 27.01 ± 9.89 kg (P = 0.399). The median (25th–75th percentile) of the BMI Z score in the amblyopia group was -0.27 (-1.365 to 0.885), and in controls was 0.00.01 (-0.85885; P = 0.399). We did not find any clinically or statistically significant difference in the above parameters between cases and controls. Conclusion: This study concludes that amblyopes do not have deranged BMI and anthropometric parameters in the early years of life. Ophthalmologists are the primary healthcare professionals who have a crucial role in prompt identification and intervention to prevent long-term vision impairments in patients with amblyopia. Enhancements in visual acuity are expected to improve their overall quality of life and social well-being, which may reduce the other negative consequences in the form of deranged BMI and other related morbidities in their adulthood.