More time spent outdoors can help prevent the onset of myopia in children, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
Under the study, 285 children between the ages of six and 12 were placed under an “intervention group” and a “control” group, with the “intervention” group of children and their parents receiving a programme on good eye habits. Under the “intervention” group, researchers also encouraged parents to bring their children outdoors for two to three hours every week, and equipped the children with a pedometer to record physical activity. The study found that children under the “intervention” group did spend a higher amount of time outdoors and recorded higher levels of physical activity.
Singapore has one of the highest childhood myopia rates in the world, with approximately 28% of school-going children at the age of six being myopic. In comparison, only 3.3% of six-year-olds in Sydney is myopic.
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- Lianhe Zaobao, 18 November 2014, Tuesday