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Outdoor activity time associated with myopia, researchers find
Increased outdoor activity was found to be associated with decreased levels of myopia, while near work had no association, according to a recent study.
Lin and colleagues reported in Optometry and Vision Science that they assessed 370 primary school students in the Beijing Myopia Progression Study who had completed cycloplegic refraction and a questionnaire that addressed near, intermediate and distance visual acuities.
Results showed that in primary school students, the children's spherical equivalent was significantly associated with outdoor activity time. Researchers did not find an association within the two parameters for secondary school students. According to the study, primary school students that were outside longer exhibited less myopic refraction.
A previous study published in the same journal found that the correlation between myopia and outdoor activity was likely due to light exposure as opposed to physical activity.