There's a growing trend of children globally developing short-sightedness.
Approximately one-third of young individuals worldwideCURRENTLY struggle with myopia, and this issue is escalating at an alarming rate. By 2050, the number of children and adolescents dealing with myopia could surge to an astounding 740 million, as stated by a team of researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, in the "British Journal of Ophthalmology". This equates to about 40% of children and adolescents worldwide aged 5 and above.
The team, headed by Yajun Chen, analyzed surveys and government reports from 50 countries globally. Their research included data from over 5.4 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19, of whom over 1.9 million were myopic.
Myopia typically develops during childhood, when distant objects appear blurry. While genetics may play a role, experts largely associate the recent surge with changes in behavior, such as increased indoor time and screen usage.
Age and Gender Variations
The frequency of myopia has seen significant growth between 1990 and 2023. Although the proportion of affected children and adolescents remained relatively stable at 24 to 25% between 1990 and 2010, the trend stepped up in subsequent years. In 2023, 36% of children and adolescents were myopic.
Sex-based disparities also exist. Girls are marginally more sensitive to myopia than boys, which researchers attribute to girls spending less time outdoors and more time focused on closer objects. Longer education and residing in urban areas also amplify the chances of myopia.
Global Concern
Myopia may evolve into a "global health challenge" in the future, the study cautions. Countries with lower to middle income per capita are expected to encounter a more substantial increase than high income per capita countries. Asia, specifically, is predicted to have the highest prevalence, reaching 69% by 2050.
Myopia was most prevalent between 1990 and 2023 in Japan and South Korea, affecting almost 86 and 74% of the population respectively. Russia, Singapore, and China also faced high rates, with 46%, 44%, and 41% respectively. The researchers registered myopia less frequently in various African countries, such as Uganda and Burkina Faso, with just 1.3% respectively. In Paraguay, fewer than 1% of children and adolescents were affected, according to the study.
Children worldwide are particularly affected by the rise in myopia, making up a significant portion of the predicted 740 million individuals with myopia by 2050. Girls, due to their spending less time outdoors and more time focused on closer objects, are found to be more susceptible to myopia than boys.
