Table 1. Frequency Distribution of Demographic, Behavioral, Clinical, and Ocular Risk Factors in Children With and Without Astigmatism in the MEPEDS and the BPEDS (N=8,579).
| Risk Factors* | Astigmatism N=859 n (%) |
No Astigmatism N=7720 n (%) |
P-Value** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study Site | 0.03 | ||
| MEPEDS | 683 (10) | 5884 (90) | |
| BPEDS | 176 (9) | 1836 (91) | |
| Age (months) | <0.0001 | ||
| 06-11 | 185 (23) | 619 (77) | |
| 12-23 | 151 (10) | 1355 (90) | |
| 24-35 | 138 (9) | 1436 (91) | |
| 36-47 | 118 (8) | 1430 (92) | |
| 48-59 | 129 (8) | 1449 (92) | |
| 60-72 | 138 (9) | 1431 (91) | |
| Race/Ethnicity | <0.0001 | ||
| African American | 339 (9) | 3312 (91) | |
| Hispanic | 404 (13) | 2636 (87) | |
| Non-Hispanic White | 116 (6) | 1772 (94) | |
| Maternal age >=35 years at child birth a | 82 (8) | 993 (92) | 0.005 |
| Mean maternal age at child’s birth | 26.5 ( 6) | 25.7 (6) | 0.0002 |
| History of breast feeding – yesb | 569 (10) | 5178 (90) | 0.58 |
| Alcohol during pregnancy – yes c | 27 (10) | 233 (90) | 0.84 |
| Smoking during pregnancy - yes | 90 (12) | 671 (88) | 0.08 |
| Gestational age <33 weeks - yes d | 30 ( 12) | 218 (88) | 0.28 |
| Small for gestational age - yes e | 157 (10) | 1426 (90) | 0.87 |
| Cerebral Palsy – yes f | 7 (58) | 5 (42) | <0.0001 |
| Down Syndrome – yes g | 3 (19) | 13 (81) | 0.24 |
| Family history of strabismus – yes h | 57 (11) | 457 (88) | 0.40 |
| Family history of amblyopia - yes i | 7 ( 6) | 114 (94) | 0.12 |
| SE – right eye (Diopters) *** | <0.0001 | ||
| ≤ − 1.0 | 104 (31) | 236 (69) | |
| −1.0 to ≤ 0 | 168 (15) | 958 (85) | |
| 0 to < +1.0 | 163 (7) | 2,329 (93) | |
| +1.0 to ≤ + 2.0 | 189 (7) | 2,642 (93) | |
| +2.0 to ≤ +3.0 | 121 (11) | 966 (89) | |
| +3.0 to ≥ +5.0 | 114 (16) | 589 (84) | |
| Household income j | 0.002 | ||
| <$20,000 per year | 455 (11) | 3772 (89) | |
| Health Insurance – yes k | 822 (10) | 7405 (90) | 0.88 |
| Vision Insurance – yes l | 369 (9) | 3730 (91) | 0.002 |
Astigmatism: Right eye has 1.5 Diopters or greater astigmatism. MEPEDS: Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study. BPEDS: Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study. SE: Spherical equivalent
Chi-square test
children with SE of −1.0 Diopters or more extreme were considered myopes; children with SE of +2.0Diopters or more extreme were considered hyperopes.
1 child with astigmatism and 26 unaffected children missing maternal age at childbirth.
11 unaffected children missing history of breastfeeding.
9 unaffected children missing maternal alcohol during pregnancy.
4 children with astigmatism and 70 unaffected children missing gestational age.
23 children with astigmatism and 219 unaffected children missing gestational age.
3 unaffected children missing cerebral palsy data.
4 unaffected children missing Down Syndrome data.
6 children with astigmatism and 50 unaffected children missing family history of strabismus.
3 children with astigmatism and 123 unaffected children missing family history of amblyopia.
104 children with astigmatism and 762 unaffected children missing household income.
2 children with astigmatism and 8 unaffected children missing health insurance in last 12 months.
77 children with astigmatism and 670 unaffected children missing vision insurance in last 12 months.