If you had trouble seeing things in the distance as a kid, you’re far from alone. New research this week has found that the rate of nearsightedness in children and teens has steadily increased over the years across the world. What’s worse, this increase seems to have been further fueled by the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on people’s indoor time.
Scientists in China conducted the study, hoping to better understand the growing risk of myopia in children. Nearsightedness has multiple contributing factors, making it a complex issue, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened an already increasing trend. Many studies has shown that nearsightedness, also known as myopia, has become a bigger problem in children over time. But the researchers wanted to look at the most recent data available to date, particularly in the years since the arrival of covid-19. Their findings were published Tuesday in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
They analyzed more than 270 studies across 50 countries on six continents, collectively involving around 5.5 million children. Overall, the researchers found a gradual increase in the pooled prevalence of myopia, from 24% of children between 1990 and 2000 to around 36% between 2020 and 2023. The proportion of myopia was higher among people living in east Asia compared to other regions, as well as in high school students compared to younger children, and in girls compared to boys.
“The global prevalence of childhood myopia is substantial, affecting approximately one-third of children and adolescents, with notable variations in prevalence across different demographic groups,” the researchers wrote.
Myopia, especially if not properly treated with corrective treatment like prescription eyeglasses, can make it harder for kids to learn in school, drive a car, or complete other daily tasks. People with severe myopia are also known to have a higher risk of developing other eyesight-related issues, including retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. It does tend to stabilize as people reach their 20s and 30s, however.
Having a family history of myopia can raise the odds of developing it, but the largest influences behind its increasing prevalence are thought to be environmental. Many studies have suggested that education in particular is a driving factor behind higher rates of myopia, especially early education. One hypothesis is that school learning often forces kids to constantly focus on close up objects (such as when reading), which then weakens their ability to see things from far away. But some studies have also suggested that children’s reduced exposure to natural daylight caused by indoor schooling is a more important factor.
Importantly, the researchers found that the increasing myopia rate has only picked up speed since 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic first emerged. They note that the social distancing policies enacted by many countries during the early pandemic years may have further increased screen time and reduced outdoor activity in kids, though they add that the “evidence regarding these aspects remains underreported globally.”
Some countries have begun to take action to reduce childhood myopia in recent years, such as by extending outdoor time during school hours. And the widespread pandemic-era policies that led to children spending more time indoors have since faded. But right now, the problem is still expected to get larger. Based on their analysis of the data, the researchers calculate that nearly 40% of children and teens globally, or around 740 million people, will have myopia by 2050. So it seems that a lot more will need to be done to protect and improve the eye health of kids worldwide.
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