The role of reading, writing, using a computer, or watching television in the development of myopia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate in a Polish population the role of reading, writing, using a computer, or watching television in the development of myopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In total 5601 students (2688 boys and 2913 girls, 6-18 years of age, mean 11.9 + 3.2 years) were examined. The children examined were Polish students of elementary and secondary schools. In every student cycloplegia after 1% tropicamide was performed. Non-parametric tests were used due to the SE distribution being significantly different from normal distribution in Kolmogorow-Smirnov test. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rs) was used to evaluate the strength of correlation between these variables. General linear model was used for multivariate analysis. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS. It has been established that with the increase in time spent on reading and writing, the spherical equivalent (SE) of the examined students decreases (Rs = -0.16, p < 0.000001). It was observed that an increase in the time spent working on a computer correlates with the decrease of the SE (Rs = -0.11, p < 0.000001). No relationship between watching television and the spherical equivalent of the examined schoolchildren was found (Rs = +0.01, p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS. Reading, writing, or using a computer may lead to the development of myopia. Watching television has no influence on the incidence of myopia.

High myopia related to computer vision in a 14-year-old boy: A case report

“…Especially children are spending increasingly more time on using computers. Such excessive near work at their ages may provoke myopia (2). It is accepted that myopia commonly starts between the ages of 8 and 12 years.…”

“…Our case was 14 years old but developed high myopia apparently related to computer vision. Relationship between near work and myopia is well established in many studies (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). But how near work induces myopia is somewhat unclear.…”

“…Usually short term problems such as eye strain, irritation, redness, blurred vision, and dry eye are classified as CVS. But long term effects of computer use on refraction and eye may be more bothersome (2). Prolonged gazing on a computer screen may induce myopia in susceptible people.…”

“…By so far both genetic factors and environmental factors were accused for being myopia (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). In fact, environmental factors seemed more important in the development of myopia according to some researchers (1)(2)(3)(4). There are many studies suggesting that factors such as near work, continuous reading and close reading distance (1-4), presence or absence of light and UV radiation (5) may be causative.…”

Rola aktywności zewnętrznej w rozwoju krótkowzroczności u dzieci w wieku szkolnym

“…The methods are described in previous papers [25,26] as the following: "Participation was voluntary. Before beginning the examinations the doctors met with the children, their parents or legal guardians and teachers.…”