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In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Numerous environmental factors that influence myopia have been studied, but only few factors have been definitively identified.
We examined factors influencing myopia using data from to physical examinations received from the Korean Military Manpower Administration. We used the CochranβArmitage trend test to investigate the annual prevalence of myopia and high myopia. To determine risk factors for myopia, logistic regression was performed. The data of 2,, year-old Korean men were examined. The myopia and high myopia prevalences showed significant annual increases; in , these prevalences were The prevalence of myopia and high myopia in this population is increasing annually.
The risk of both conditions increased when the birth season was spring, education level was high, BMI was low, color vision was normal, and diabetes was present. Currently, the prevalence of myopia and high myopia among young people can lead to complications as they age. Visual impairment is projected to increase by , which may be a result of the combined effects of increased myopia, mean spherical equivalent SE , axial length change, and aging 1.
The prevalence of myopia in Asia is higher than that in the West 4 , and Korea has a higher myopia prevalence than other Asian countries 5. In a previous study on young Korean men, the prevalences of myopia and high myopia were increasing annually 6. According to a Chinese study, the rate of myopia increased each year, and the age at which the refractive error became myopic and stabilized was at 20 years 7. The causes of myopia are mostly genetic and environmental factors.
