Title : The association between anthropometric parameters and peripheral axial length retinal radius of curvature in school age children
Abstract:
Objective: To investigate the association between physical development indicators and peripheral axial length(PAL), retinal radius of curvature in school-age children.
Methods: A case series study. From March to July 2025, 334 school-age children(334 eyes) treated in the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology of Third Affiliated Hospitalof Jinzhou Medical University were included, among whom 169 were boys and 165 were girls. Based on the spherical equivalent(SE) after cycloplegia with tropicamide, participants were categorized into the following groups: emmetropia(E, -0.50D?SE≤+0.50D, 95eyes), low myopia(L-my, -3.00D?SE≤-0.50D, 138eyes) and moderate to high myopia group(H-my, SE≤-3.00D, 101eyes). The central axial length(CAL) and PAL at 15°, 20° and 30° from the nasal and temporal side of the fovea were measured by SWan instrument under natural pupil conditions in a dark room, and absolute value of difference of peripheral axial length(|ΔDPAL|) were calculated, then calculated the retinal coordinates through the partial coherence interferometry(PCI) modeling method and converted them into retinal radius of curvature. The height, weight were measured, and body mass index(BMI) were calculated. According to the median of height, weight and BMI, participants were assigned to H1 group(height?144mm) or H2 group (height≥144mm), W1 group(weight?32.8kg) or W2 group (weight≥32.8kg), B1 group(BMI?15.86kg/m2) or B2 group (BMI≥15.86kg/m2). The ocular biometry parameters such as PAL, |ΔDPAL| and retinal radius of curvature were compared between different groups. Multivariate linear regression analysis were used to analyze the association between physical development indicators and ocular biometry parameters such as PAL, |ΔDPAL| and retinal radius of curvature.
Results: In H1 group, CAL, nasal and temporal PAL at 15°, 20° and 30°, nasal-temporal |ΔDPAL| at 15°, 20° and 30° were all smaller than those in H2 group, while SE and retinal radius of curvature were both larger than those in H2 group, which differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in each parameter among different weight and BMI groups (P?0.05). After controlling for confounding factors such as age, gender in multivariate linear regression, in E group, height was positively correlated with CAL(β=0.091, 95%CI:0.046-0.137, P<0.05), nasal and temporal PAL at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.080-0.086, P<0.05), nasal-temporal |ΔDPAL| at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.002-0.003, P<0.05), which was negatively correlated with the retinal radius of curvature(β=-0.055, 95%CI:-0.101--0.008, P<0.05). while height had no correlation with SE (P>0.05). In L-my group. Height was positively correlated with CAL(β=0.043, 95%CI:0.020-0.065, P<0.05), nasal and temporal PAL at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.038-0.042, P<0.05), nasal-temporal |ΔDPAL| at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.001-0.002, P<0.05), which was negatively correlated with the retinal radius of curvature(β=-0.022, 95%CI:-0.041--0.003, P<0.05) and SE(β=-0.038, 95%CI:-0.054--0.012, P<0.05). In H-my group. Height was positively correlated with CAL(β=0.047, 95%CI:0.025-0.069, P<0.05), nasal and temporal PAL at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.038-0.045, P<0.05), nasal-temporal |ΔDPAL| at 15°, 20° and 30°(β=0.001-0.002, P<0.05), which was negatively correlated with the retinal radius of curvature(β=-0.015, 95%CI:-0.033--0.005, P<0.05) and SE(β=-0.085, 95%CI:-0.121--0.049, P<0.05). However, weight and BMI of children with three groups was not correlated with ocular biometry parameters such as PAL, |ΔDPAL| and retinal radius of curvature (P>0.05).
Conclusion: In taller school-aged children, the nasal PAL is longer than the temporal one and is accompanied by a smaller retinal radius of curvature, presenting as steep and asymmetric retinal morphology. However, weight and BMI has no correlation with PAL and radius of retinal curvature.
Key words: school-aged children; physical development indicators; peripheral; axial length; asymmetry; retinal curvature
Fundings: Project of Reform Research of Postgraduate Education and Teaching of Liaoning Province (LNYJG2024218); Project of Joint Plan(fund) of Plan of Science and Technology of Liaoning Province (2023-MSLH-049).
