SynthesisPloS one2025
Prevalence of clinically significant refractive error in children in Europe: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prevalence of Myopia in Europe: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026Review
- Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and initial validation of the PREP questionnaire into Spanish for assessing quality of life in children wearing spectacles.Journal of optometry · 2026Article
- Detection of Myopia from Colour Fundus Photographs Using YOLO-Based Computer-Vision Models: A Comparison with Expert Ophthalmologists.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Defocus-Incorporated Multiple-Segment (DIMS) Spectacle Lenses Versus Single-Vision Lenses for Myopia Control in a South-Eastern European Population.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Myopia Trends in Europe: A Reappraisal of Current Evidence.Ophthalmology and therapy · 2026Review
- Refractive errors in children in the outpatient department of China-Dominica Friendship Hospital in Dominica-a cross-sectional study.BMC ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Refractive Errors, Amblyopia Risk, and Prenatal Factors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of general medicine · 2026Article
- Prevalence, vector evolution, and visual impact of astigmatism: a large-scale study of 79,066 children in Beijing, China.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThis meta-analysis estimated clinically significant refractive error prevalence in European children and examined variations based on cycloplegic versus non-cycloplegic refraction, age and sex.
methodsA systematic review (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PROSPERO ID: CRD42022322608) identified studies (January 2000 - June 2024) reporting myopia (≤-0.50D), hyperopia (≥+2.00D) and astigmatism (≥1.00 DC) prevalence in children aged 4-17 years in Europe. Twenty-six studies from 14 countries (n = 37,282) were included. Pooled prevalence estimates (EPP) were calculated using a random-effects model with Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation.
resultsEstimated pooled prevalences were refractive error: 17.90% (95% CI: 13.67-22.56), myopia: 14.31% (95% CI: 8.89-20.74; 24 studies), hyperopia: 10.20% (95% CI: 6.51-14.59; 11 studies), and astigmatism: 10.26% (95% CI: 5.83-15.74, eight studies). Cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic prevalence did not differ significantly (myopia: χ2 = 0.08, p = 0.78; hyperopia: χ2 = 0.29, p = 0.59). Myopia prevalence increased with age (6.17% at 4-9 years, 16.66% at 14 + years), while hyperopia declined (14.27% at 4-9 years, 7.04% at 10-13 years). Astigmatism remained stable; however, studies did not report its co-occurrence with myopia or hyperopia, limiting insights into its combined burden. No significant sex differences were observed. Data from 27 European countries were unavailable, limiting regional comparisons.
conclusionsApproximately 18% of European children have clinically significant refractive error, with myopia increasing with age and hyperopia decreasing. Myopia prevalence was highest in Russia, hyperopia in Denmark, and astigmatism in Northern Ireland. Further studies reporting cycloplegic prevalences with improved geographical representation and more granular reporting - particularly of astigmatism and its co-occurrence with other refractive errors are needed for better comparability and management of refractive errors in European children.
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