{"id":5919941,"date":"2022-03-15T13:28:39","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T12:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coi.pt\/artigo\/visao-das-cores-teste-de-ishihara-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T22:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T21:09:59","slug":"myopia-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coi.pt\/en\/article\/myopia-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Myopia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Myopia in children<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

Prevention, Prevalence and Treatments to Curb its Progression<\/p>

Prevalence on the rise<\/strong>
In recent decades, the rate of myopia in children has grown significantly. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO).<\/p>

It is estimated that half of the world's population will be short-sighted by 2050, with most cases developing in childhood.<\/p>

A study published in the journal Ophthalmology (Holden et al., 2016) highlighted that the prevalence of myopia has increased dramatically in East Asian countries, with rates exceeding 80% among 18-year-olds.<\/p>

A study carried out by the University of Minho compared data from 2002 and 2014, revealing that the prevalence of myopia among university students increased by 19%.<\/p>

Research carried out by the Lisbon Higher Institute of Education and Sciences (ISEC Lisboa) in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid analysed around 2,000 students aged between 5 and 17 in the Lisbon region. The results showed that 12.7% of the participants suffered from myopia.
The study also found that children with short-sighted parents are significantly more likely to develop the condition, and that the risk triples when both parents are short-sighted. In addition, it was observed that the prevalence increases with age and is slightly higher in girls (14.2%) than in boys (11.2%).<\/p>

Analysing the north of Portugal, studies show a prevalence of myopia of 8.2%.
The survey revealed that approximately half of the short-sighted population was between the ages of 10 and 29, and that high myopia was most prevalent between the ages of 20 and 39.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Risk Factors<\/strong>
Several factors contribute to the development and progression of myopia in children:
- Genetics: Children with short-sighted parents are more likely to develop the problem.
- Environment and lifestyle: Little time outdoors, excessive reading and prolonged use of electronic devices, such as reading and using mobile phones or tablets, which contribute to the stretching of the eyeball, which is the main cause of myopia.<\/p>

Prevention: The benefits of natural light<\/strong>
Prevention has been the subject of intense research.<\/p>

One of the most effective methods is to increase the time your child spends outdoors.
<\/em><\/strong>
Studies show that exposure to natural light can significantly reduce the risk of developing myopia. The current recommendation is at least 90 to 120 minutes a day outdoors, as suggested by research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Myopia around the world<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

Haven't you ever wondered why some countries are more short-sighted than others?
<\/strong>Myopia has gone from being a common visual condition to a global epidemic, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is estimated that 50% of the world's population will be short-sighted by 2050. However, this prevalence is not the same everywhere, while in some countries the number of short-sighted children and young people exceeds 80%, in others the rate is still relatively low.<\/p>

But why is there such a difference between countries?
<\/strong>
East Asia: the \"myopia capital of the world\"<\/em><\/strong>
Countries like China, South Korea, Japan and Singapore have the highest rates of myopia in the world.
In Chinese cities, for example, around 90% of 18-year-olds are short-sighted, according to studies published in The Lancet.
A study conducted in Seoul, South Korea, revealed that 96% of 19-year-olds were short-sighted (Morgan et al., 2012).<\/p>

Main causes: <\/b>
- High academic pressure from an early age;<\/p>