Outdoor play good for children's eyes

Spending more time outdoors may reduce a child's chances of being short-sighted, research suggests.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge found that each additional hour spent outdoors a week reduced the risk of being shortsighted by two per cent.

They also found short-sighted children spent an average of 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors compared with those who either had normal vision or were farsighted.

The scientists reached their conclusion after analysing data from eight studies on outdoor time and myopia, involving more than 10,000 children and adolescents.

Although the reasons are not yet clear, the scientists said the protective effect appears to be linked to simply being outdoors rather than any specific activity.

Dr Justin Sherwin, who led the study, said that exposure to natural light and time spent focussing on distant objects could be key factors.

Two of the eight studies looked at whether children who spent more time outdoors were also those who spent less time on activities such as playing computer games or studying, but no such link was found in either study.

"Increasing children's outdoor time could be a simple and cost-effective measure with important benefits for their vision and general health," said Dr Anthony Khawaja, from Cambridge University.

"If we want to make clear recommendations, however, we'll need more precise data. Future, prospective studies will help us understand which factors, such as increased use of distance vision, reduced use of near vision, natural ultra violet light exposure or physical activity, are most important."

The study findings will be presented at the American Academy of Opthalmonogy annual meeting in Florida.

This article was published on Tue 25 October 2011