RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Association of visual acuity with educational outcomes: a prospective cohort study JF British Journal of Ophthalmology JO Br J Ophthalmol FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. SP 1666 OP 1671 DO 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313294 VO 103 IS 11 A1 Catherine Jan A1 Shi-Ming Li A1 Meng-Tian Kang A1 Luoru Liu A1 He Li A1 Ling Jin A1 Xuezheng Qin A1 Nathan Congdon A1 Ningli Wang YR 2019 UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/103/11/1666.abstract AB Background/aim To quantify the impact of baseline presenting visual acuity (VA), refractive error and spectacles wear on subsequent academic performance among Chinese middle school children.Methods A prospective, longitudinal, school-based study on grade 7 Chinese children (age, mean±SD, 12.7±0.5 years, range=11.1–15.9) at four randomly selected middle schools in Anyang, China. Comprehensive eye examinations including cycloplegic autorefraction were performed at baseline, and information on demographic characteristics, known risk factors for myopia and spectacle wear was collected. Academic test scores for all subjects in the curriculum were obtained from the local Bureau of Education. Main outcome measure was total test scores for five subjects at the end of grade 9, adjusted for total scored at the beginning of grade 7.Results Among 2363 eligible children, 73.1% (1728/2363) had seventh grade test scores available. 93.9% (1623/1728) completed eye examinations, and 98.5% (1599/1623) of these had ninth grade test scores. Adjusting only for baseline test score, the following were significantly associated with higher ninth grade scores: younger age, male sex, less time outdoors, better baseline presenting VA, higher parental education and income and parental myopia, but refractive error and spectacle wear were not. In the full multivariate model, baseline test score (p<0.001), presenting VA (p<0.01), age (p<0.001), quality of life (p<0.05) and parental education (p<0.001) and myopia (either: p<0.05; both: p<0.05) remained significantly associated with better ninth grade scores.Conclusions In this longitudinal study, better presenting VA, but not cycloplegic refractive error or spectacle wear, was significantly associated with subsequent academic performance.