Table 1.

Prevalence of myopia in Australia school children.

Authors	Year	N	Place	Ages	Method	Criterion	Prevalence %
Robbins & Bailey [25]	1975	1,243	Private schools	4, 8, 12	Non-cycloplegic retinoscopy	Myopia≥-0.50D "suspected of having myopia"	5.6% 4 yrs 6.4% 12 yrs
Amigo, McCarthy & Pye [26]	1976	1,166	Rural underprivileged	7 to 12	Non-cycloplegic retinoscopy	"any tendency for myopia"	3.4%
Walters [27]	1981 1982 1983	2,055 1,187 1,722	Rural underprivileged	4 to 14	Non-cycloplegic retinoscopy	Myopia≥-0.50D	4.40% 3.03% 2.67%
Macfarlane [29]	1987	877	Representative government schools	6 to 11	Cycloplegic retinoscopy	Not stated	13%
Junghans et al [30]	Early 1990s	2,535	14 government & church schools	4 to 12	Non-cycloplegic retinoscopy	Myopia≥-0.50D	2.0% 4 yrs 10.9% 12 yrs Mean 6.5%