The influence of age in the progression from pre-myopia to myopia onset: a 1 year retrospective analysis

To investigate the effect of age on annual axial elongation during the transition from pre-myopia to myopia in children.

Study Design: A retrospective study involving 53 children aged 6–10 years who progressed from pre-myopia to myopia within 1 year.
Data Collection: Data included age, sex, spherical equivalent refraction, and axial length, with follow-ups every 6 months.
Statistical Analysis: Annual axial elongation was analyzed using ANCOVA, with age as a fixed factor and baseline ocular biometrics as covariates.

Annual axial elongation decreased with increasing age: 0.76 mm (6y), 0.64 mm (7y), 0.54 mm (8y), 0.37 mm (9y), and 0.38 mm (10y).
Significant main effect of age on axial elongation was found (p = 0.019).
Children aged 6 and 7 years had significantly greater axial elongation than those aged 9 years (p < 0.01).
Each additional year of age was associated with a 0.093 mm decrease in annual axial elongation (p = 0.002).

The study is retrospective and may not account for all environmental and familial risk factors.
Data was collected from a single hospital, which may limit generalizability.