One in three children short-sighted, study suggests | BBC News

One in three children are now short-sighted or unable to see things in the distance clearly, a global study has found. Short-sightedness, or myopia, is a growing global health concern which is set to affect millions more children by 2050, the study warns. The study found 85% of children in Japan and 73% in South Korea are short-sighted with more than 40% affected in China and Russia. Paraguay and Uganda, at about 1%, had some of the lowest levels of myopia, with the UK, Ireland and the US all about 15%. Short-sightedness tripled between 1990 and 2023, according to the study. The increase was “particularly notable“ after the Covid pandemic, the researchers say, as children spent more time on screens and less time outdoors. Subscribe here: For more news, analysis and features visit: #Myopia #Eyesight #BBCNews