Effect of Classroom Illuminance on the Development and Progression of Myopia in School Children

To evaluate the effect of classroom illuminance on the development and progression of myopia in elementary school children. The daylight factor, a ratio of inside and outside illuminance, was obtained in 50 elementary schools. The firstgrade students in the school with the lowest daylight (LD) factor (LD school, 145 subjects; 0.51%) and with the highest daylight (HD) factor (HD school, 147 subjects; 13.35%) were selected. A survey was conducted to evaluate parental myopia, the amount of near-work and outdoor activities. The refractive error and axial length (AL) were measured at initial and after 6 months. The spherical equivalent, AL, and the survey results were compared between the two schools. The mean AL of the emmetropic children was obtained, and all subjects were divided into two groups, more and less than mean AL. Changes in refractive errors and AL were also compared according to AL. The amount of change in spherical equivalent and AL after 6 months were not different between the two schools. Initial prevalence of myopia was high in the HD school. However, it became similar between the two schools after 6 months. The mean AL of 155 emmetropic children was 22.7 ± 0.63 mm. In the 185 children with AL ≥22.7 mm, there was no difference in the AL change between the two schools. However, the change in AL in 107 children with AL