ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF HEREDITARY PREDISPOSITION AND HYPEROPIA RESERVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MYOPIA IN PRESCHOOL AND EARLY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. MYOPIA AS THE "PLAGUE" OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Purpose – to evaluate the impact of hereditary predisposition and hyperopic reserve on the risk of myopia development in preschool and early school-age children. Material and methods The study included 200 children with emmetropic refraction, with a mean age of 6.0±0.8 years. Observation period at least 2 years. The groups were stratified according to the level of hyperopia reserve:(+) 0.75 D (low risk) and (+) 0.75 D (high risk). Additionally, the presence of myopia in one or both parents was recorded. Descriptive statistics, the following methods were used: descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, logistic regression, OR (odds ratio), RR (relative risk), RERI (Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction) calculations. Results Myopia developed in 62% of children during follow-up. Hereditary predisposition (r= 0.394) and low hyperopia reserve (r = –0.371) were significantly correlated with myopia onset (p < 0.001). Both factors proved to be independent predictors: adjusted OR=4.71 for heredity and OR=4.29 for hyperopia reserve. In cases where both risk factors were present, the combined OR reached 20.0. However, the variable interactions in the logistic model were not statistically significant (B=– 0.07; p=0.916), and the RERI value (-0,41) was negative, indicating an additive rather than synergistic effect. Conclusion This study focused on two easily and objectively measurable parameters — hereditary predisposition and hyperopia reserve. Both factors demonstrated statistical independence and high predictive value, complementing each other in the assessment of cumulative risk. The obtained data are planned to be used in future research to develop a scoring-based model for assessing the risk of myopia, designed for use in practical pediatric ophthalmology. Key words: myopia in children, predictors of myopia development, hereditary predisposition to myopia, hyperopia reserves in children, logistic regression