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Lu C, Miao Y, Yao X, Wang Z, Wei R, Du B, Liu Y, He J, Sun H, Liu Y, Yan J, Huang G, Chen X, Tang NJ, Yan H. Socioeconomic disparities and green space associated with myopia among Chinese school-aged students: A population-based cohort study. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04140. [PMID: 38898796 PMCID: PMC11187523 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background There is increasing evidence on the link between environmental factors and myopia in children and adolescents, yet with inconsistent conclusions. We investigated the associations between socioeconomic inequalities and green space with myopia in school-aged students participating in the Tianjin Child and Adolescent Research of Eye (TCARE) study. Methods We obtained data from a population-based dynamic cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China, in 2021 and followed up in 2022. We included 1 245 271 participants from 16 districts with an average age of 11.6 years (standard deviation = 3.3) in our analysis. We synthesized their area-level SES through a prediction model that combined economic, educational, and health care variables and assessed the greenness levels surrounding the school using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on data obtained through satellite remote sensing. We performed generalised linear mixed effects analyses for each myopia outcome separately, with adjustments for students' sex, years of education completed, and the school's geographical location. Results We observed that students living in low SES areas had the highest prevalence of myopia (60.7%) in the last screening in 2022, as well as a higher incidence of one-year myopia (26.4%) compared to those residing in middle SES areas (22.7%). With a 0.1 increase in the 250, 500, and 1000 m buffer NDVI, the prevalence of myopia dropped by 6.3% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.937; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.915, 0.960), 7.7% (OR = 0.923; 95% CI = 0.900, 0.946), and 8.7% (OR = 0.913; 95% CI = 0.889, 0.937), respectively. The interaction analysis showed that low SES and low greenness exacerbate the prevalence of myopia. Findings from longitudinal analyses consistently demonstrated a correlation between higher values of NDVI and a slower progression of myopia. These findings remained robust across sensitivity analyses, including for variables on parental myopia and students' behaviors. Conclusions Exposure to green spaces could play a crucial role in slowing the progression of myopia among school-aged students. Myopia control policies should prioritise young populations residing in low SES areas with limited access to green spaces, as they face the highest potential risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congchao Lu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuyang Miao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuyang Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
| | - Zinuo Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ruihua Wei
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Bei Du
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiayu He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongyue Sun
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Yan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
- School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guowei Huang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
- School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Nai-jun Tang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition, and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hua Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin, China
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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Khader Y, Wang C, Guo X, Xu H, Qin Z, Tao L. Effects of Greenness on Myopia Risk and School-Level Myopia Prevalence Among High School-Aged Adolescents: Cross-sectional Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023; 9:e42694. [PMID: 36622746 PMCID: PMC9871879 DOI: 10.2196/42694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myopia is a serious public health issue. High school-aged adolescents in Beijing have an alarming prevalence of myopia. Therefore, determining myopia protective factors is essential. Green space has a certain association with myopia protective factors that can protect against myopia. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the effects of green space around schools on individual myopia risk in high school-aged adolescents and the school-level myopia prevalence. METHODS Green space was measured using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). A total of 13,380 samples of 51 high schools were selected from a 2021 Beijing Municipal Health Commission survey. Adolescent myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent of ≤-1.00 diopters in the worse eye. Generalized linear mixed models with a binomial error structure were used to analyze the effects of the NDVI on personal myopia risk and adjust them by other factors, such as demographics, exposure time, and outdoor exercise. The effects of the NDVI on school-level myopia prevalence with adjusted demographics and the relative position factors of trees were analyzed through quasibinomial regression. RESULTS The overall prevalence of myopia was 80.61% (10,785/13,380, 95% CI 79.93%-81.27%). Although with a 0.1 increase in the 500 and 1000 m buffer NDVIs adjusted by demographic and other factors, the high school-aged personal myopia risk significantly dropped by 16% (odds ratio [OR] 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.97) and 12% (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99), respectively. However, only the adjusted 500 m buffer NDVI (by demographics and the position of trees) with a 0.1 increase significantly reduced the school-level myopia prevalence by 15% (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.98). Subgroup analysis showed that the adjusted effects of the 500 m buffer NDVI are significant in schoolgirls (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.93), juniors (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.94), the Han nationality (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.97), 1-year exposure (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99) and 3-year exposure (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.94). CONCLUSIONS The greenness of a 500 m buffer around schools is associated with a lower personal myopia risk among adolescents and a lower prevalence of myopia in schools. With regard to prevention and control activities, green space within a 500 m buffer around schools is suggested as an independent protective factor for adolescent myopia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cheng Wang
- Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Guo
- Institute of School Health, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China.,School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huiyu Xu
- Institute of School Health, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China.,School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zihao Qin
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Liyuan Tao
- Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Medical Examination Centre, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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