Anglia Ruskin University. “Screen time linked to risk of myopia in young people: High levels of exposure can increase risk of short-sightedness by up to 80%.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 October 2021.
High levels of exposure can increase risk of short-sightedness by up to 80%
Date: October 7, 2021
Source: Anglia Ruskin University
Summary: A new study has revealed a link between screen time and higher risk and severity of myopia, or short-sightedness, in children and young adults.
A new study published in one of the world’s leading medical journals has revealed a link between screen time and higher risk and severity of myopia, or short-sightedness, in children and young adults.
The open-access research, published this week in The Lancet Digital Health, was undertaken by researchers and eye health experts from Singapore, Australia, China and the UK, including Professor Rupert Bourne from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). The authors examined more than 3,000 studies investigating smart device exposure and myopia in children and young adults aged between 3 months old and 33 years old.
After analysing and statistically combining the available studies, the authors revealed that high levels of smart device screen time, such as looking at a mobile phone, is associated with around a 30% higher risk of myopia and, when combined with excessive computer use, that risk rose to around 80%.
The research comes as millions of children around the world have spent substantial time using remote learning methods following the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211007122131.htm
Journal Reference:
- Joshua Foreman, Arief Tjitra Salim, Anitha Praveen, Dwight Fonseka, Daniel Shu Wei Ting, Ming Guang He, Rupert R A Bourne, Jonathan Crowston, Tien Y Wong, Mohamed Dirani. Association between digital smart device use and myopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Digital Health, 2021; DOI: 10.1016/S2589-7500(21)00135-7