A meta-study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, analyzed research involving over five million children and teenagers from 50 countries on six continents. The increase in myopia in children was “particularly notable” following the coronavirus crisis, according to the researchers.
According to the study, the prevalence of myopia in children increased by 36% between 1990 and 2023, and today one in three children worldwide is myopic. The highest rates are in Asia, where 85% of children in Japan and 73% in South Korea are affected. In China and Russia, the figures are over 40%. The lowest prevalence is in Paraguay and Uganda, at around 1%, while the UK, Ireland and the US are at around 15%.
According to the researchers, several factors may play a role. For example, myopia in children was more prevalent throughout East Asia, but genetics also play a role. In Singapore and Hong Kong, for example, children start their education at the age of two, which means they focus their eyes more on books and screens in their early years, straining their eye muscles which can lead to myopia, the research shows. Comparatively in Africa, where it starts at the age of six to eight, myopia is seven times less common than in Asia.
The increase was also “particularly notable” after the coronavirus crisis, the researchers say. This is because a large number of countries forced their citizens to stay indoors for longer periods, leading to children using screens much more than usual.
“Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between the pandemic and accelerated vision deterioration among young adults”, write researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University in China, among others.
The researchers warn that myopia in children is a growing global health problem that could affect millions more children by 2050.
