Spending more time indoors and on screens because of Covid restrictions may be linked to an increased rate of short-sightedness in children, researchers say. As well as carrying out eye examinations, the team asked children about the amount of time they spent outdoors and on screens and doing other near work. The study also revealed dramatic changes in outdoor time between recruitment and follow-up of the Covid-era group, falling from about 75 minutes a day to 24 after Covid restrictions were introduced. Over the same period, the children’s time on near work, including use of screens, rose from just under 3.5 hours a day to about 8 hours per day. Wolffsohn said the Hong Kong study had limitations, including that the comparison of the groups is made difficult by different follow-up periods and it is known that myopia progression reduces as children get older.

Source: The Guardian August 02, 2021 22:30 UTC