Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Physical Fitness–Based Strategies for Adolescent Myopia Prevention and Control

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitution represents a relatively stable individual characteristic, whereas physical fitness reflects overall physical condition. Both factors have been associated with adolescent health and disease susceptibility. This study examined the associations among TCM constitution, physical fitness, and myopia in school-aged children to identify potential avenues for myopia prevention and control. METHODS: A total of 1,207 children aged 7-14 years from a primary school in Shenzhen were included in 2025. Data from annual routine campus physical fitness assessments were collected, along with vision screening results, axial length (AL) measurements, and responses to TCM constitution questionnaires. Relationships among TCM constitution, physical fitness, and myopia were preliminarily evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 1,207 participants, 788 completed the TCM constitution questionnaire. Based on the responses, constitutions were categorized as either balanced or biased. Comparison of physical fitness assessment results between these two groups demonstrated a statistically significant correlation (p = 0.034). Data from the right eyes were analyzed for myopia-related indicators. Children with a balanced constitution had a significantly lower proportion of abnormal ocular axial length, with a significant difference observed (p = 0.045). No significant differences were found in spherical equivalent refraction or the AL/corneal radius (AL/CR) ratio across constitution types. However, among children with varying levels of physical fitness, significant differences were found in spherical equivalent refraction (p = 0.006) and AL/CR ratio (p = 0.024), while no significant difference was observed in AL. CONCLUSION: Both TCM constitution and physical fitness were associated with specific myopia-related indicators in children aged 7-14 years. These findings suggest that consideration of TCM constitution and physical fitness may inform new strategies for the management and prevention of myopia in school-aged populations.