AUGUST 2019# | EYEWORLD | 37
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time indoors, had lower vitamin D levels, and
spent more hours on near work.
6
"Overall, studies have shown that the more
time spent outdoors per week or per day, the
lower the risk of myopia becomes. The best
advice would be for children to spend 2 hours
or more outside per day. I like the 20–20–2 rule
of thumb: 20 minutes of near work, 20-second
break to focus on something far in the distance,
2 hours of outdoor exposure per day," Dr.
Klaver said.
Healthy smartphone use is being studied,
with inconclusive data thus far. One current
study monitors smartphones with an app that
measures data such as light conditions, how
long kids are on their phones, and how much
continuous use.
One study says that in economically devel-
oped societies, myopia tends to appear earlier
rather than later, during the school years of
childhood, and notes a rapid, environmentally
induced change in the prevalence of myopia
associated with increased education and urban-
ization.
5
"Education is the strongest classical risk
factor. We know that when you go to univer-
sity, you have about a 60% risk of developing
myopia," she said.
According to the outcomes of a recent
birth cohort study on the socioeconomic influ-
ence on myopia in 5,711 children aged between
6 and 9 years that clocked activities like playing
outside, biking to school, walking to school,
watching TV, computer use, outdoor/indoor ac-
tivities, and playing sports, myopes spent more
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continued from page 34
Financial interests
Klaver: None
Contact
information
Klaver:
c.c.w.klaver@erasmusmc.nl
