Online Survey on Myopia Progression Among Chinese Adult Undergraduates: A Pilot Study

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence and severity of myopia progression among adult undergraduates during their college years, providing a foundation for larger-scale stratified surveys. METHODS: An online survey targeting Chinese adult undergraduates was conducted via WeChat. The original questionnaire collected data on current refractive status, myopia progression information, family history and lifestyle habits. Non-myopic individuals and those with other ocular diseases were excluded. RESULTS: By June 2024, 996 responses were collected, with 922 included after exclusions. Participants were mostly from Hubei (23.9%), Shanghai (18.2%) and Tianjin (15.8%), majoring in Engineering and Architecture (19.0%), Literature (15.7%) and Medicine (15.2%). The average age was 21.9 ± 1.2 years, and the mean spherical power (SPH) was -3.84 ± 1.80D (left eye) and -4.06 ± 1.81D (right eye). Myopia progression was reported by 56.3% of participants, with the fastest progression during the third year (40.3%) and the second year (28.7%). The fastest annual change of SPH was 0-0.25D (49.5%), followed by 0.25-0.50D (28.5%), 0.50-0.75D (11.0%) and over 0.75D (3.5%). The willingness to adopt myopia control measures was substantial, with 66.3% of participants expressing a preference for specially designed frame glasses. Logistic regression indicated that higher baseline SPH, younger age, and greater stress were associated with myopia progression during college years. CONCLUSION: Myopia progression is common among Chinese adult undergraduates, particularly during their second and third years. Students experiencing myopia progression show a strong willingness to adopt myopia control interventions. Myopia progression during college years is associated with age, baseline spherical power and academic stress.