Vergence and Accommodative Dysfunctions in Emmetropic and Myopic Chinese Young Adults

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between refractive error and common binocular vision and accommodative dysfunctions in Chinese adults and to report the percentage of these disorders in this sample population. METHODS: This was a single-site, prospective cross-sectional clinic-based study. A total of 415 Chinese participants aged between 21 and 38 years were grouped into 4 refractive error groups (emmetropia, low, moderate, and high myopia) based on the spherical equivalent power of noncycloplegic refraction. Baseline testing including binocular vision and accommodative testing was performed on all eligible participants. A multiple-sign classification system was used to analyze these data for the diagnosis of common nonstrabismic binocular vision and accommodative dysfunctions. Associations between the diagnosis and refractive error groupings were examined by the chi-square test for the linear trend. RESULTS: Associations with refractive error groupings were found for convergence insufficiency (p=0.008, r = −0.13) and divergence insufficiency (p=0.008, r = 0.131). The 3 most common dysfunctions in this sample population were basic exophoria (10.8%), convergence insufficiency (9.6%), and divergence insufficiency (7.0%). Approximately 40% of the sample population demonstrated at least one type of binocular vision dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Convergence insufficiency and divergence insufficiency were associated with refractive error groupings. Binocular vision dysfunction was a common finding in this sample population.