Physiological exophoria did not increase the incidence of myopia in rural school children in Taiwan

This study evaluated the incidence rate and risk factors for developing myopia in elementary school students in Chiayi, Taiwan. This prospective cohort study comprised 1816 students without myopia (grades 1 to 5 in Chiayi County). The students underwent a noncycloplegic ocular alignment examinations using an autorefractometer and completed a questionnaires at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. A univariate logistic regression was used to assess the effects of the categorical variables on new cases of myopia. A multinomial logistic regression was then conducted. A chi-squared test was used to compare new cases of myopia in terms of ocular alignment. A Cox hazard ratio model was then used to validate factors associated with changes in ocular alignment. A P value of <.05 was considered significant. In 370 participants with new cases of myopia out of 1816 participants, a spherical error of −1.51 ± 0.6 diopters was noted at follow-up. The baseline ocular alignment was not a significant risk factor for developing myopia (exophoria vs orthophoria: OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.97–1.62; other vs. orthophoria: OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.73–1.82). However, new cases of myopia (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.14–1.61), and baseline ocular alignment (exophoria vs orthophoria: HR 3.76, 95% CI 3.20–4.42; other vs orthophoria: HR 3.02, 95% CI 2.05–4.45) were associated with exophoria at follow-up. This study provided epidemiological data on the incidence of myopia in elementary school students in Chiayi, Taiwan. It also demonstrated that physiological exophoria does not predispose patients to developing myopia.