Prevalence of myopia among 26,697 school-aged children and adolescents in Taiyuan

PURPOSE: Investigation and analysis of the current status and influencing factors of vision screening-detected myopia among school-aged children and adolescents in primary, junior high, and senior high schools across various urban districts of Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province, to provide directions and recommendations for myopia prevention and control in the region. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March 2025, involving a total of 26,697 primary, junior high, and senior high school students in Taiyuan. Data were collected through questionnaires and non-cycloplegic autorefraction. RESULTS: The overall screening prevalence of myopia among school-aged children and adolescents in Taiyuan City was 81.8%. The prevalence of myopia was significantly lower in males than in females (χ² = 45.57, P < 0.001).The screening myopia prevalence rates were 71.0% in primary school, 90.4% in junior high school, and 94.4% in senior high school, while the high myopia prevalence rates were 1.7%, 9.6%, and 17.2%, respectively. In primary and junior high schools, the detection rate of myopia was significantly higher in females than in males (χ² = 15.32 and 17.41; P < 0.001). However, in senior high school, the detection rate of myopia was similar between females and males (χ² = 3.57; P > 0.05).At the primary, junior high, and senior high school levels, female students exhibited a significantly higher degree of SER than male students (P < 0.05).The higher prevalence of both myopia and high myopia was significantly associated with the following factors: prolonged near-work duration (≥ 12 h per day, OR = 1.43), insufficient near-work distance, and parental myopia (at least one parent with myopia, OR = 4.02). CONCLUSIONS: In 2025, the screening-detected prevalence of myopia and high myopia among school-aged children and adolescents in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, was notably high. This phenomenon was associated with factors such as near work activities and parental myopia. Furthermore, the detection rate of myopia exhibited an increasing trend with advancing educational stages, and the overall prevalence of myopia was higher in females than in males.