Prevalence of Myopia and Its Association with Body Stature and Educational Level in 19-year-old Male Conscripts in Seoul, South Korea

Purpose: To examine prevalence of refractive errors and its associated factors, such as body stature and educational level, among 19-year-old males in Seoul, Korea.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was performed in male subjects (n = 23,616; age = 19 years) who were normally resident in Seoul for male compulsory conscripts during the study period (2010). Refractive examination was performed with cycloplegia. Height, weight, and educational level were examined. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent less than -0.5 diopters (D) and high myopia less than -6.0 D. The association of myopia with body stature and educational level was analyzed using logistic regression analysis.

Results: The prevalence of myopia in 19-year-old males in Seoul was 96.5%. The prevalence of high myopia was 21.61%. Body stature was not significantly associated with myopia. Four- to 6-year university students (odds ratio [OR] 1.69; P < 0.001) and 2 to 3-year college students (OR 1.68; P < 0.001) showed significantly higher risk for myopia than those with lower academic achievement (< high school graduation).

Conclusions: The 19-year-old male population in Seoul, Korea, demonstrated a very high myopic prevalence. Myopic refractive error was associated with academic achievement, not with body stature.