Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Chinese high school students with myopia and to investigate its potential associate factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in seven high schools across three representative regions in China. Students were invited to participate in an eye examination and complete an online survey. The HRQoL was measured by using the Child Health Utility Nine-Dimension (CHU-9D) and 25-items National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). Sociodemographic characteristics and vision-related characteristics were also collected. Descriptive statistics were performed on respondents' characteristics and one-way analysis of variance was used to compare HRQoL among subgroups. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to identify contributing factors to HRQoL. RESULTS: A total of 2,198 students with myopia (53.1% male, age was 16.7 ± 0.8 years) were included in this study. The utility value of CHU-9D was 0.851 ± 0.160 (mean ± SD), the score of NEI-VFQ-25 was 91.112 ± 9.619. Higher NEI-VFQ-25 scores correspond with higher CHU-9D utility values. Regression analyses showed that the CHU-9D utility values were higher in younger students, males, those who adopted normal sitting position, those who spent more than 10 h outdoor-activities per week, and those who wore frame glasses. The NEI-VFQ-25 scores were higher in older students, females, those who adopted normal sitting position, and those who did not wear glasses. CONCLUSIONS: Myopia has a non-negligible impact on the HRQoL among Chinese high school students. Age, sex, sitting posture, time of outdoor-activities, and glasses type were deemed as the associated factors of HRQoL.