Medicine & HealthIncreased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004:
ResultsUsing the 1971-1972 method, the estimated prevalence of myopia in persons aged 12 to 54 years was significantly higher in 1999-2004 than in 1971-1972 (41.6% vs 25.0%, respectively; P < .001). Prevalence estimates were higher in 1999-2004 than in 1971-1972 for black individuals (33.5% vs 13.0%, respectively; P < .001) and white individuals (43.0% vs 26.3%, respectively; P < .001) and for all levels of myopia severity (>-2.0 diopters [D]: 17.5% vs 13.4%, respectively [P < .001]; -2.0 to >-7.9 D: 22.4% vs 11.4%, respectively [P < .001]; -7.9 D: 1.6% vs 0.2%, respectively [P < .001]).
Conclusions
When using similar methods for each period, the prevalence of myopia in the United States appears to be substantially higher in 1999-2004 than 30 years earlier. Identifying modifiable risk factors for myopia could lead to the development of cost-effective interventional strategies.
Here are some tables:
Citation: Susan Vitale; Robert D. Sperduto; Frederick L. Ferris, III, Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004, Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(12):1632-1639.
Comments
I'm not claiming causation, but I have read that myopia in children is commoner the more light they have in their bedrooms at night.
Posted by: Monado | December 18, 2009 12:05 AM
@Monado: it has been observed that myopia is more common in children that do not spend time outdoors. The more light there is, the less myopic the children will be.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427331.100-generation-specs-stopping-the-shortsight-epidemic.html?full=true
Posted by: Lassi Hippeläinen | December 18, 2009 6:43 AM
Monado: from the Wikipedia page on myopia:
It also gives several references.
Posted by: Tristram Brelstaff | December 18, 2009 9:05 AM
Collateral damage from the Flynn Effect?
Posted by: ziel | December 18, 2009 11:38 PM
Myopia is associated with high insulin levels, so this makes sense.
Posted by: nate | December 19, 2009 6:04 PM
The New Scientist run an interesting article about the causes behind myopia a few weeks ago. They reported some compelling very recent research which found a strong negative association between hours spent playing outdoors and myopia.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427331.100-generation-specs-stopping-the-shortsight-epidemic.html
Posted by: Blackbird | December 19, 2009 6:10 PM
I wonder how much of this (like the autism "epidemic") is down to detection.
I'm severely myopic and knew it from a young age. However, in my rural community, there was no education for parents on vision care. I got my first pair of glasses at age 16, when I was old enough to sort it out for myself.
Parents these days seem to be better informed and vision care is much more available- even in such rural areas.
Posted by: red rabbit | December 20, 2009 5:46 PM
This would be a case where it might be more useful to use the myopia records at a single school. Take a small town elementary school where the population has been relatively stable over time and see whether myopia has gone up. Then repeat at a few other schools.
Posted by: Steve Sailer | December 22, 2009 4:47 AM