Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,948 studies31 sourcesUpdated 12 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Preventive Medicine Reports

Adiposity and the prevalence, incidence and distribution of refractive errors in urban Vietnamese children

  • Nhan Thi Ho1,2,3
  • Khoi Pham Minh Tran3,2
  1. 1Research Management Department, Vinmec International Hospital, Hanoi, Viet Nam
  2. 2Pediatric Department, Vinmec Times City, Vinmec International Hospital, Hanoi, Viet Nam
  3. 3College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Viet Nam
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) and refractive error in schoolchildren in three Vietnamese cities.

Methods: We analyzed school health examinations from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong, Vietnam, from 2022 to 2024. We included 49,415 examinations from 31,522 children aged 6 to 18 years, plus a Hanoi autorefractor sub-cohort for subtypes. Modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations estimated prevalence ratios (PR) by sex, adjusted for age, city, and year, with formal sex interaction tests. A supplementary analysis of consecutive visits assessed incident refractive error.

Results: Any refractive error followed a U-shaped curve across BAZ (nonlinearity p = 0.021 and 0.009). The PR per 1-SD higher BAZ was 1.01 in both sexes (95% CI 1.00, 1.02). Obesity was associated with higher prevalence in girls (PR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.10). Astigmatism was associated with BAZ in both sexes (PR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02, 1.05), and anisometropia in boys (PR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05, 1.14) but not girls. Myopia was not associated, and prior-visit BAZ did not predict incident refractive error.

Conclusions: Adiposity showed small, nonlinear associations with refractive error, concentrated in astigmatism rather than myopia.

Related

  1. Refractive error prevalence in urban Vietnamese children: a 2021 to 2024 school health analysis
    N. T. Ho, K. P. M. Tran
    medRxivPreprintCC BY-NC-NDFull textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsmedRxiv
  2. Sex-Specific Prevalence and Distribution of Electrocardiographic Variants in Healthy Vietnamese Freshmen.
    Thang Nguyen Ngoc, Quyet Nguyen Minh, An Bui Thi Thu +7
    Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, IncPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textCardiovascular medicineEurope PMC
  3. Distribution and factors associated with refractive errors among young adults attending ophthalmic clinics in Iraq: a multicenter cross-sectional study
    Hassan A. Aljaberi, Saeed Rahmani, Ali Ayatollahi
    Frontiers in ophthalmologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  4. Prevalence and associated factors of vitamin B12 deficiency among Vietnamese patients with type 2 diabetes receiving metformin therapy: a cross-sectional study
    Thi Kim Dung Nguyen, Thi Lan Anh Ke, Van Linh Pham +2
    Frontiers in clinical diabetes and healthcarePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEndocrinology & metabolismEurope PMCPMC
  5. Prevalence, Predictors, and Persistence of Inadequate Spectacle Correction in Vietnamese Schoolchildren
    N. T. Ho, K. P. M. Tran
    medRxivPreprintCC BY-NC-NDFull textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsmedRxiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ho2026adiposity,
  title = {{Adiposity and the prevalence, incidence and distribution of refractive errors in urban Vietnamese children}},
  author = {Nhan Thi Ho and Khoi Pham Minh Tran},
  journal = {Preventive Medicine Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103672},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103672},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Adiposity and the prevalence, incidence and distribution of refractive errors in urban Vietnamese children
AU  - Nhan Thi Ho
AU  - Khoi Pham Minh Tran
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/18
JO  - Preventive Medicine Reports
DO  - 10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103672
AB  - Objective: To examine associations between body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) and refractive error in schoolchildren in three Vietnamese cities.  Methods: We analyzed school health examinations from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong, Vietnam, from 2022 to 2024. We included 49,415 examinations from 31,522 children aged 6 to 18 years, plus a Hanoi autorefractor sub-cohort for subtypes. Modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations estimated prevalence ratios (PR) by sex, adjusted for age, city, and year, with formal sex interaction tests. A supplementary analysis of consecutive visits assessed incident refractive error.  Results: Any refractive error followed a U-shaped curve across BAZ (nonlinearity p = 0.021 and 0.009). The PR per 1-SD higher BAZ was 1.01 in both sexes (95% CI 1.00, 1.02). Obesity was associated with higher prevalence in girls (PR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.10). Astigmatism was associated with BAZ in both sexes (PR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02, 1.05), and anisometropia in boys (PR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05, 1.14) but not girls. Myopia was not associated, and prior-visit BAZ did not predict incident refractive error.  Conclusions: Adiposity showed small, nonlinear associations with refractive error, concentrated in astigmatism rather than myopia.
SN  - 2211-3355
ER  -