outdoor games are good for children, at least as far as their eyesight is concerned, says a new study. Researchers in Australia have found an association between high levels of outdoor activity and low rates of short-sightedness, or myopia, in children. The prevalence of childhood myopia has increased dramatically in recent decades. With rates of 80percent in some East Asian populations, the search is on for possible causes.
In the study, 2367 12-year-old Australian school children underwent eye examinations and completed questionnaires about their daily activities. The lowest rates of myopia were associated with the highest rates of outdoor activity, irrespective of how much near work, such as reading, the children did. The children with the worst eyesight did lots of near work and spent very little time outside. Interestingly, the study found no benefit from playing sports indoors.
The researchers think the reason for this might be the light intensity children are exposed to outside. Rose explains that children”s eyes grow as they get older but, for reasons not yet understood, the eyes of children who develop myopia grow excessively, leading to a mismatch between the optical power of the eye and its axial length.
The study has been published in Ophthalmology.
– from www.hindustantimes.com