As one meta-analysis put it:

It’s estimated that an increase of one hour per day of outdoor time could reduce the occurrence of myopia in children by 45%.

Make sure your kids spend time outside, folks!

  • chunes@lemmy.world
    1·
    9 hours ago

    Sometimes I wonder if people see numbers like 45% and think “OMG, 45% chance!” instead of “small number * 1.45 = another small number.”

    • a_gee_dizzle@lemmy.caOP
      3·
      8 hours ago

      Considering that a fairly large percentage of children develop myopia (as high as 80-90% in some countries) a 45% reduction would be fairly significant, no? Or am I missing something

      • chunes@lemmy.world
        3·
        8 hours ago

        where are you getting these numbers… from what I can see, the global average was 23% in 2000 and 34% today.

        • a_gee_dizzle@lemmy.caOP
          2·
          6 hours ago

          The 80-90% claim seems to be repeated in various areas on the internet, including by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which I assume to be reputable:

          Over recent decades, the prevalence of myopia has skyrocketed, particularly in Asia. In countries like China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, up to 80-90% of teenagers and young adults are now myopic.

          Of course these local averages are still consistent with a lower global average