ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Children and Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1660018
This article is part of the Research TopicManaging the Burden of Child Health in China: Focus on Common ConditionsView all articles
Analysis of Refractive Development Characteristics in School-Age Children Based on Biometric Measurements: A Cross-Sectional Study Involving 12,025 Primary School Students from Xingtai City
Provisionally accepted
- 1Aier Eye Hospital Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang, China
- 2Aier Eye Hospital Xingtai, Xingtai, China
- 3Hebei General Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medicine University, Shijiazhuang, China
- 4The Forth Hospital of Hebei Medical university, Shijiazhuang, China
- 5The First hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
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Objective: To investigate refractive development, myopia prevalence trends, and correction status among 6–12-year-old primary students in Xingtai, Hebei, China, and provide evidence for childhood myopia interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 12,025 eligible students (6–12 years) from 11 schools (2022–2023). Refractive status was assessed via non-cycloplegic autorefraction (NIDEK AR-1), with ocular biometry (axial length [AL], keratometry [K]). Diagnostic criteria: spherical equivalent (SE) <−0.50D (myopia), K ≤−0.50D (astigmatism), uncorrected/corrected visual acuity <5.0/<4.9 (subnormal vision/insufficient correction). Results: Visual impairment prevalence was 65.65% (7,895/12,025), rising significantly from 58.00% (Grade 1) to 75.75% (Grade 6). Myopia prevalence increased from 30.41% to 68.78% (overall 51.69%). SE shifted myopically (−1.46±1.84D overall; Grade 1: −0.66±1.54D vs. Grade 6: −2.20±2.01D). AL increased with grade (23.64±1.07mm overall; 22.95±0.83mm to 24.13±1.12mm), while corneal curvature remained stable (43.39±1.51D; inter-grade variation <0.13D). The AL/corneal radius ratio correlated linearly with SE (3.02±0.17 overall; 2.95±0.10 to 3.08±0.14). Conclusion: Vision impairment and myopia prevalence show higher prevalence in older age groups in Xingtai primary students. Suboptimal refractive correction rates highlight clinical challenges. AL progression and stable corneal curvature suggest axial elongation drives myopia. The AL/corneal radius ratio's correlation with SE underscores its potential as a predictor for myopia progression, aiding risk prediction model development.
Keywords: Myopia screening, Myopia prevention and control, Axial length, Keratometry value, Vision correction
Received: 05 Jul 2025; Accepted: 08 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Meng, Lv, Yang and Liang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yanyan Liang, The First hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
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