Outbreak of COVID-19-Related Myopia Progression in Adults: A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated specific public health measures, resulting in the alteration of lifestyles, such as increased digital screen time and fewer outdoor activities. Such conditions have increased the progression of myopia in children. However, no investigation of myopia progression in early adulthood has been conducted during this period. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the outbreak of COVID-19-related myopia progression among adults at an optometry clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study in which participants aged 18–25 years who first visited (baseline) the optometry clinic between June 2019 and March 2020 were recruited for follow-up from November 2021 to March 2022. Spherical equivalent refraction (SER), uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA), and binocular cross cylinder (BCC) were recorded at baseline and a follow-up visit. Using questionnaires, a survey was conducted to assess the lifestyle changes that transpired during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In total, 37 participants with a mean age of 22.5±1.4 years were enrolled, of which 89.2% were female. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most participants self-reported increased daily use of digital devices (89.2%), online education (86.5%), and spending more time at home (94.6%), which increased by approximately 7.6±3.2 hours, 5.9±1.7 hours, and 13.2±7.5 hours, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between SER and BCC at baseline and after approximately 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05). The mean two-year myopia progression was −0.59±0.67 D (Maximum = 0.00 D, Minimum = −3.38 D). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that myopia could progress during adulthood among those who have lived under public health measures intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic.