After three years, 30 percent of the outdoor activity group had developed nearsightedness, compared to almost 40 percent of kids in the control group, according to the results in JAMA.That means kids who spent more time outside were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness, the authors write.The study doesn’t investigate why time outdoors might protect eyesight, but He said that some experimental work suggests brighter outside light affects eye growth in a way that inhibits myopia.To maximize the benefit, schools in China should increase outdoor time further, including recesses, and encourage parents to bring children outdoors over the weekend, he said.“One issue that needs to be addressed is the potential skin and eye damage from UV exposures, but these can be managed by standard UV protection measures,” He said.
Source: More time outside tied to less nearsightedness in children | Reuters