Predicting Subsequent Myopia in Initially Pilot-Qualified USAFA Cadets

摘要

Each year a number of previously pilot-qualified USAF Academy cadets become unqualified on the visual portion of the physical examination and become ineligible for pilot training. This research was directed at determining the ability of a measurable visual characteristic, the dark focus of accommodation, to predict the onset of myopia. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the disparity between the dark focus and the visual far point may be used as an index of the tendency to develop myopia. The cadet population was sampled for measures of the dark focus and, for those cadets who volunteered, the far point data was collected from medical records. Due to circumstances, data collection was dependent upon volunteer participants rather than a planned-for sampling procedure. The data collection was conducted at the end, rather than the beginning of the academic year. Despite the limitations noted above, there was some evidence to suggest that the hypothesis had merit. To determine the validity of the hypothesis and the suitability of the proposed measure, a longitudinal study should be conducted.