The prevalence of myopia and eye-related behavior among 3 to 18 years: a cross-sectional survey study

Aims To determine the current status of myopia and the relationship between eye-related behaviors and myopia in children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years. Methods A total of 3240 children and adolescents from 15 schools were selected for the survey between January and June 2024 in Hubei Province, China. A stratified random cluster sampling method was employed for the collection of samples. All participants were requested to complete the Eye-Related Behavior Assessment Scale for Kindergarten and Primary School Students in Grades 1-3-Parent Version (ERBAS-P) and the Eye-Related Behavior Assessment Scale for Primary School Students in Grades 4–6 and Middle School Students-Student Version (ERBAS-S) on line. Data on socio-demographic factors (gender, grades, region) and myopia rate were collected. Results The overall prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents aged 3–18 years in Hubei Province was 34.35%. Risk of myopia was higher in females than in males (OR = 1.27, P  = 0.007), in rural than in urban areas (OR = 1.88, P  < 0.001), and in children with myopic parents than with non-myopic parents (OR = 3.21, P  < 0.001). Furthermore, of the 3240 participants, only 18.1% (n = 587) had good eye-related behavior levels, 46.1% (n = 1494) had moderate eye-related behavior levels, and the rest had poor levels, and there was a significantly higher risk of myopia for poor compared to good eye-related behavior levels (OR = 1.74, P  < 0.001). The regression analysis showed that the level of eye-related behavior varied significantly with many of the demographic variables particularly with grades group, gender and whether myopia. Conclusion The prevalence of myopia is at a high level among individuals between the ages of 3 and 18 in Hubei province, China, with notable differences between urban and rural populations. The level of eye-related behavior among children and adolescents is suboptimal. A particular focus on fostering the development of positive eye-use habits among younger children should be reinforced in the future.