A recent study reveals that myopia, or short-sightedness, has tripled globally since 1990, with a notable increase following the COVID-19 pandemic. The condition now affects over one-third of children and adolescents worldwide, particularly in East Asia. Researchers emphasize the need for public health initiatives to address this growing concern.
The findings are corroborated by multiple sources, including a comprehensive study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, which analyzed over five million participants. According to The Independent, myopia rates in Japan are alarmingly high at 85%, while the UK sees a much lower prevalence of around 15%. Sky News highlights the significant role of urban living and early education in exacerbating myopia, noting that children in East Asia often start school at a much younger age. BBC News emphasizes the negative impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on children's eyesight, linking increased screen time to worsening myopia. The Guardian calls for public health initiatives to address this growing concern, stressing the importance of outdoor activities for children's eye health.
Myopia has become a significant public health issue, with prevalence rates rising sharply over the past three decades. Factors contributing to this increase include early schooling, urban living, and lifestyle changes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited outdoor activities and increased screen time.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
-
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest.
-
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south
-
Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel.
-
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
-
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People's Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea.
-
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
-
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea.
-
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the w
-
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
-
Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.