Choroidal thickness and associated factors in children: the Ufa Children Eye Study

Background To assess subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and its associations in school children in a Russian population. - Methods The Ural Children Eye Study (UCES), a school-based case-control study, was performed in Ufa/Bashkortostan/Russia from 2019 to 2022 and included 4933 children (mean age...

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Main Authors: Bikbov, Mukharram (Author) , Kazakbaeva, Gyulli M. (Author) , Iakupova, Ellina M. (Author) , Bikbova, Guzel (Author) , Gilemzianova, Leisan I. (Author) , Nizamutdinova, Aigul M. (Author) , Panda-Jonas, Songhomitra (Author) , Insapova, Anastasia V. (Author) , Timerbulatova, Diana A. (Author) , Lilia, Rakhimova (Author) , Jonas, Jost B. (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: November 9, 2025
In: British journal of ophthalmology
Year: 2025, Pages: 1-7
ISSN:1468-2079
DOI:10.1136/bjo-2025-328021
Online Access:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo-2025-328021
Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2025/11/09/bjo-2025-328021
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Author Notes:Mukharram M. Bikbov, Gyulli M. Kazakbaeva, Ellina M. Iakupova, Guzel Bikbova, Leisan I. Gilemzianova, Aigul M. Nizamutdinova, Songhomitra Panda-Jonas, Anastasia V. Insapova, Diana A. Timerbulatova, Rakhimova Lilia, Jost B. Jonas
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Summary:Background To assess subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and its associations in school children in a Russian population. - Methods The Ural Children Eye Study (UCES), a school-based case-control study, was performed in Ufa/Bashkortostan/Russia from 2019 to 2022 and included 4933 children (mean age: 9.7±2.6 years; range: 6.2-18.8 years). The children underwent a series of ophthalmological and systemic examinations. Optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images of the macula were obtained in a randomly selected subgroup. - Results Out of 4933 children primarily participating in the UCES, a randomly selected group of 1462 (29.6%) children underwent OCT. Thicker SFCT (mean: 322±82 µm; median: 317 µm; range: 105-691 µm) was associated (multivariable analysis) with the systemic parameters of older age (beta: 0.15; B: 3.99; 95% CI 0.91, 7.08; p=0.01), taller body height (beta: 0.17; B: 0.78; 95% CI 0.27, 1.29; p=0.003), earlier school start in the morning (beta: −0.07; B: −5.60; 95% CI −9.42, -1.88; p=0.004), lower prevalence of actively resting during studying (beta: −0.06; B: −8.80; 95% CI −15.6, -1.98; p=0.01) and earlier time of going to bed in the evening (beta: −0.07; B: −0.68; 95% CI −1.20, -0.15; p=0.01), and the ocular parameters of shorter axial length (beta: −0.59; B: −46.8; 95% CI -53.0, -40.5; p<0.001), lower corneal refractive power (beta: −0.18; B: −10.3; 95% CI −23.9, -6.81; p<0.001) and deeper anterior chamber depth (beta: 0.12; B: 36.4; 95% CI 17.7, 55.2; p<0.001). It was not significantly associated with sex (p=0.87), body Mass Index (p=0.88) and best-corrected visual acuity (p=0.18). Mean inter-eye SFCT difference (39.3±35.5 µm; median: 30 µm; range: 0.00-259 µm) was related with inter-eye difference in axial length (beta: −0.29; B: −57.1; 95% CI -66.9, -47.4; p<0.001). - Conclusions In this ethnically mixed school children population from Russia, in contrast to studies on adult individuals, SFCT increased with older age. As in adults, however, at a more marked degree compared with adults, it decreased with longer axial length, by approximately 47 µm for each mm of longer axial length in multivariable analysis.
Item Description:Gesehen am 10.03.2026
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1468-2079
DOI:10.1136/bjo-2025-328021