Dietary intake and its association with myopia in children in Goa

Background: Myopia is a multifactorial condition. Myopia is largely influenced by hereditary and environmental variables. Vitamins D, E, and C, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants have been noted as essential for preserving healthy eye function and possibly reducing the development of myopia. 

Aim: This study was conducted to compare dietary consumption between myopes and emmetropes.

 Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of ophthalmology in the state of Goa, India. Children aged between 7 and 15 years were included. Children with visual acuity of less than 0.1 logMAR later underwent objective evaluation using retinoscopy and subjective refraction. The spherical equivalent (SE), and myopia were defined as SE 0.5 D in at least one eye. Children with logMAR visual acuity of 0.1 in both eyes, no glasses, or an ophthalmic history were classified as emmetropic (SE< 0.50D). A daily intake interview was taken using a 24-hour dietary recall, and a detailed interview of the subject’s food consumption was taken. 

Result: A total of 60 children who visited the outpatient department of ophthalmology were included in the analysis. The sample consisted of 31 emmetropes and 29 myopes The mean age of the sample was 10 ± 2.29 years. Almost half the population was male (32 children [53.33%]). The mean refractive error in myopic children was-2.02 ± 1.449 D. The mean axial length in emmetrope children was 22.84 ± 0.972 mm, and in myopic children it was 23.81 ± 0.91mm (P = 0.629). Emmetropes showed higher dietary nutritional consumption than myopes in all dietary components, but the results were not statistically significant. 

Conclusion: In our study, we could not link Diet and myopia statistically. Although there is a clear indication that emmetropes demonstrated better dietary consumption compared to myopes.