Ammon News - More than a third of children around the world were nearsighted in 2023, and this proportion will rise to almost 40% in 2050, according to new research.

Nearsightedness, or myopia, refers to when closer objects are clear, but distant objects are blurry. There has been a significant rise in the prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents in the past 30 years – from 24% in 1990 to almost 36% in 2023 – according to the paper, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology on Tuesday.

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, reached their findings by analyzing the results of 276 studies involving more than 5.4 million children and adolescents in 50 countries across all six continents.

While this increase has largely been gradual, there was a notable spike after the Covid-19 pandemic, say the researchers, who also noted regional disparities.

Japan topped the list, with 86% of children nearsighted. South Korea had the second-highest rate, at 74%.

Globally, children in urban areas have higher rates of myopia than those in rural areas, while girls were slightly more likely to suffer from the condition than boys.

The researchers emphasized that younger children were more vulnerable to environmental factors than adults, saying “this is particularly significant for pre-school children, as they are in a critical period of visual development characterised by high plasticity.”

Looking ahead, researchers forecast that the prevalence of myopia will continue to increase among children and adolescents, reaching 36.6% in 2040 and 39.8% in 2050.

There are things parents can encourage their children can do to protect their vision, though.

The researchers recommend that young people “develop the habit of regularly practising eye-protective measures.”

CNN