Spending an additional 40 min outdoors each day reduces the incidence of myopia among primary school children in China

Study question Setting: 30 primary schools in Guangzhou, China. Patients: Students underwent annual visual acuity tests. Schools were stratified to six strata based on the proportion of students with ‘normal’ vision (uncorrected visual acuity >20/25) in grades 1–6. Two schools were randomly selected from each strata and all grade 1 students (age 6 years) enrolled in the study; one school to intervention, the other to control. Exclusions: Any student with pre-existing myopia, systemic or ocular disease. Intervention: Compulsory additional 40 min exercise class after school; parental consent not required for participation. Students in control group continued their usual daily routine. Outcomes: Primary outcome was the incident rate of myopia, defined as refractive error of –0.5 D or worse in students without myopia at baseline. Refractive error was measured objectively using an automated device (autorefractor). Secondary outcomes were mean change in refractive error and mean change in axial length of the eye...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education and Practice - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Journalology, Eye Diseases, Clinical trials (epidemiology), Picket, Drugs: cardiovascular system, Obesity (nutrition), Ophthalmology, Adolescent health, Child health, Radiology, Clinical diagnostic tests, Radiology (diagnostics), Health education, Obesity Source Type: research