Nearsightedness surge threatens children's vision worldwide
Research clearly shows that children's eyesight is deteriorating worldwide. One in three children is already nearsighted or has problems with clearly perceiving distant objects. This phenomenon was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which children spent most of their time at home in front of screens.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, will affect millions of children worldwide by 2050. The most affected are in Japan, with as many as 85% of children having such problems, in South Korea 73%, and in China and Russia 40%.
Paraguay and Uganda are on the other side of the spectrum, where only 1% of children in society are affected by this issue. In the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, it is already about 15%.
The study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology included over five million children and adolescents from 50 countries on all six continents.
Their calculations showed that myopia tripled between 1990 and 2023, rising to 36%. Scientists say this increase was "particularly noticeable" after the COVID-19 pandemic.
It starts in elementary school
Nearsightedness, known as myopia, typically begins in elementary school and worsens until around 20 – until this age, human eyes continue to grow.
Contributing factors to nearsightedness include genetics from parents and an early start to education. This is the case in Singapore and Hong Kong, for example. Studies show that the later children are forced to focus their vision on books and screens, the better for their eyesight.
Nearsightedness is seven times less common in Africa, where schooling starts at the age of six to eight than in Asia. Research predicts that by 2050, this condition may affect more than half of teenagers worldwide.
Girls and young women are more prone to vision deterioration. Research shows that as they grow, they spend less time on outdoor activities.
Scientists say that by 2050, Asia is likely to have the highest levels compared to all other continents, with nearly 69% nearsightedness, and developing countries could also reach 40%.
Nearsightedness - how to protect children?
Scientists recommend that children aged seven to nine spend at least two hours a day outside.
Parents of children in this age group should also take them for regular eye exams and remember that nearsightedness is hereditary. Glasses or lenses do not cure it; they can only correct the defect.
