Prevalence, incidence, and progression of myopia of school children in Hong Kong.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence, incidence, and progression of myopia of Chinese children in Hong Kong.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was initially conducted. A longitudinal follow-up study was then conducted 12 months later.

Results: A total of 7560 children of mean age 9.33 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.11-9.45; range, 5-16) participated in the study. Mean spherical equivalent refraction (SER) was -0.33 D (SD = 11.56; range, -13.13 to +14.25 D). Myopia (SER
Conclusions: The results show that the prevalence and progression of myopia in Hong Kong children was much higher than those previously reported in Western countries. The long-term socioeconomic impact of these findings warrants further studies.