{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]],"date-time":"2026-05-30T03:48:54Z","timestamp":1780112934520,"version":"3.54.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]],"date-time":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750896000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Medical University of Varna"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The World Health Organization defines myopia as a global epidemic. Its growing prevalence and the increasingly early age onset all raise a major concern for public health due to the elevated risk of loss and deterioration of visual function as a result of myopia-related ocular pathological complications. However, it remains unclear whether the vision-related quality of life of patients with myopia is the same as in healthy individuals. The aim of the present study is to assess the quality of life in children and adolescents with myopia between the ages of 8 and 16 years, who underwent observation at USBOBAL-Varna. Methods: This study prospectively included 190 patients with myopia between \u22121.00 and \u22125.50 D, corrected with different optical aids. After a thorough physical ocular examination and inquiry into the best visual acuity with and without distance correction, specially designed questionnaires were completed by the patients and their parents\/guardians for the purpose of the study. The data from the questionnaires was statistically processed. The mean age of the patients in the study was 11.65 years, 101 were female and 89 were male. Of these, 83 wore monofocal glasses, 50 were monofocal and 47 were multifocal contact lenses, and 10 wore ortho-K lenses. Results: No significant difference in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was found among the three types of optical correction (p-value &gt; 0.05). Cronbach\u2019s alpha of the questionnaire for all 10 factors was higher than 0.6, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Significantly higher scores were reported for overall, near, and distance vision, symptoms, appearance, attitude, activities and hobbies, handling, and perception for soft contact lens wearers than for spectacle wearers (p-value &lt; 0.05). Ortho-K wearers performed better than spectacle wearers in all aspects except for pronounced symptoms (p = 0.74). No significant difference was found between ortho-K wearers and soft contact lens wearers for any factor (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Patients wearing spectacles and with myopia above \u22125.00 D had the highest anxiety scores and lower quality of life among all myopic participants. The research on the quality of life in children with myopia with different refractive errors and optical correction devices is crucial for improving corrective devices and meeting the needs of patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14134546","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,27]],"date-time":"2025-06-27T03:33:25Z","timestamp":1750995205000},"page":"4546","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Assessment of the Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Myopia from the City of Varna"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Mariya","family":"Stoeva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daliya","family":"Stefanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dobrin","family":"Boyadzhiev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zornitsa","family":"Zlatarova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Binna","family":"Nencheva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2786-2159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mladena","family":"Radeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Eye Diseases and Vision Sciences, University Specialized Eye Hospital, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.62.5.2","article-title":"IMI impact of myopia","volume":"62","author":"Sankaridurg","year":"2021","journal-title":"Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO) (2025, April 01). World Report on Vision. Available online: https:\/\/iris.who.int\/bitstream\/handle\/10665\/328717\/9789241516570-eng.pdf?sequence=18."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"(2015). World Health Organization (WHO). The Impact of Myopia and High Myopia: A Report of the Joint World Health Organization\u2013Brien Holden Vision Institute, Global Scientific Meeting on Myopia, University of New South Wales. Available online: https:\/\/myopiainstitute.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Myopia_report_020517.pdf."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1036","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ophtha.2016.01.006","article-title":"Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050","volume":"123","author":"Holden","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ophthalmology"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0000000000000499","article-title":"A review of current concepts of the etiology and treatment of myopia","volume":"44","author":"Cooper","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1038\/s41433-018-0139-7","article-title":"Update in myopia and treatment strategy of atropine use in myopia control","volume":"33","author":"Wu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eye"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"364","DOI":"10.1111\/cxo.12839","article-title":"Myopia and orthokeratology for myopia control","volume":"102","author":"Cho","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin. Exp. Optom."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0000000000000207","article-title":"Myopia control: A review","volume":"42","author":"Walline","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1186\/s12886-020-01345-9","article-title":"Compliance to spectacle use in children with refractive errors-a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Dhirar","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1080\/09286586.2022.2028295","article-title":"Factors associated with the spectacle wear compliance among primary school students with refractive error in rural China","volume":"30","author":"Du","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ophthalmic Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaapos.2010.11.003","article-title":"Spectacle wear in children reduces parental health-related quality of life","volume":"15","author":"Yamada","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Am. Assoc. Pediatr. Ophthalmol. Strabismus"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1097\/OPX.0b013e3181971985","article-title":"Randomized trial of the effect of contact lens wear on self-perception in children","volume":"86","author":"Walline","year":"2009","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101389","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clae.2020.11.009","article-title":"Daily disposable contact lens use in adolescents and its short-term impact on self-concept","volume":"44","author":"Yigit","year":"2021","journal-title":"Contact Lens Anterior Eye"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e970","DOI":"10.1111\/aos.16685","article-title":"Vision-related quality of life in children: Cross-cultural adaptation and test\u2013retest reliability of the Danish version of the paediatric refractive error profile 2","volume":"102","author":"Cerullo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Acta Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-199704000-00018","article-title":"The screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders (SCARED): Scale construction and psychometric characteristics","volume":"36","author":"Birmaher","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exer.2012.11.019","article-title":"Optical treatment strategies to slow myopia progression: Effects of the visual extent of the optical treatment zone","volume":"114","author":"Smith","year":"2013","journal-title":"Exp. Eye Res."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101350","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clae.2020.07.001","article-title":"Vision-related quality of life of Chinese children undergoing orthokeratology treatment compared to single vision spectacles","volume":"44","author":"Yang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Contact Lens Anterior Eye"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S99","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0000000000000413","article-title":"MiSight Assessment Study Spain: A comparison of vision-related quality-of-life measures between MiSight contact lenses and single-vision spectacles","volume":"44","author":"Pomeda","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102287","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clae.2024.102287","article-title":"Association between vision-related quality of life and mental health status in myopia children using various optical correction aids","volume":"47","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Contact Lens Anterior Eye"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101538","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clae.2021.101538","article-title":"Vision-related quality of life with myopia management: A review","volume":"45","author":"Lipson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Contact Lens Anterior Eye"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1097\/00006324-200402000-00004","article-title":"Development and validation of a multidimensional quality-of-life scale for myopia","volume":"81","author":"Erickson","year":"2004","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1189","DOI":"10.1080\/02713683.2023.2250581","article-title":"Effect of Myopia Severity on the Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Their Parents","volume":"48","author":"Han","year":"2023","journal-title":"Curr. Eye Res."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"188","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ophtha.2023.09.005","article-title":"Impact of vision impairment and ocular morbidity and their treatment on quality of life in children: A systematic review","volume":"131","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ophthalmology"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e001730","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjophth-2024-001730","article-title":"Effects of myopia on health-related quality of life in adolescents: A population-based cross-sectional causal empirical survey","volume":"9","author":"Lu","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ Open Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zawistowska, J., Powierza, K., Sawicka-Powierza, J., Macdonald, J., Czerniawska, M., Macdonald, A., Przystupa, Z., and Bakunowicz-\u0141azarczyk, A. (2024). Health-related quality of life using the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire among adolescents with high myopia. J. Clin. Med., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13133676"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"896","DOI":"10.1097\/OPX.0b013e3181559c3c","article-title":"Contact Lenses in Pediatrics (CLIP) Study: Chair time and ocular health","volume":"84","author":"Walline","year":"2007","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"560","DOI":"10.1097\/OPX.0b013e3181e6a1c8","article-title":"Vision specific quality of life of pediatric contact lens wearers","volume":"87","author":"Rah","year":"2010","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0b013e31827a0241","article-title":"Myopia control with orthokeratology contact lenses in Spain: A comparison of vision-related quality-of-life measures between orthokeratology contact lenses and single-vision spectacles","volume":"39","author":"Gilmartin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0000000000000529","article-title":"Investigation of the effect of orthokeratology lenses on quality of life and behaviors of children","volume":"44","author":"Zhao","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1097\/ICL.0000000000000451","article-title":"Orthokeratology and Contact Lens Quality of Life Questionnaire (OCL-QoL)","volume":"44","author":"McAlinden","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eye Contact Lens"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1105428","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1105428","article-title":"Appearance anxiety and social anxiety: A mediated model of self-compassion","volume":"11","author":"Gao","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"688","DOI":"10.1097\/00006324-200211000-00006","article-title":"The relationship between self-esteem of myopic children and ocular and demographic characteristics","volume":"79","author":"Dias","year":"2002","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1111\/opo.12080","article-title":"Myopia, contact lens use and self-esteem","volume":"33","author":"Dias","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ophthalmic Physiol. Opt."},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"7","article-title":"The impact of uncorrected myopia on individuals and society","volume":"32","author":"Congdon","year":"2019","journal-title":"Community Eye Health"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1031","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo.84.9.1031","article-title":"Quality of life in myopia","volume":"84","author":"Rose","year":"2000","journal-title":"Br. J. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"862","article-title":"Comparison of Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety Levels of Adolescents Who Wear Spectacles and Who Do Not","volume":"15","author":"Yeter","year":"2021","journal-title":"Turk. J. Fam. Med. Prim. Care"}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/13\/4546\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T17:59:16Z","timestamp":1760032756000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/13\/4546"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"13","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm14134546"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm14134546","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]]}}}