7 out of 10 Korean children are short-sighted: data

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Seven out of ten Korean children are found to be short-sighted as myopia among children is rising at an alarming rate worldwide, according to a recent study cited by the BBC.

In the study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, a research team from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, reviewed government data on over 5 million children and teenagers until June 2023 from 50 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Oceania.

According to the research, the global prevalence of myopia among children and teenagers aged five to 19 reached 36 percent in 2023, a threefold increase since 1990. The rates were 24 percent between 1990 and 2000, 25 percent from 2001 to 2010, 30 percent between 2011 and 2019, and 36 percent from 2020 to 2023. The study attributed the rise in short-sightedness primarily to the pandemic, which led to children spending more time indoors and increased screen use.

The high prevalence of myopia among children from East Asian countries was particularly notable. Japanese children had the highest rate at 85 percent, followed by South Korean children at 73 percent. Myopia rates among children in China and Russia were over 40 percent.

In contrast, children from Paraguay and Uganda had a rate of only 1 percent. While genetic factors could play a role, the research team suggested that the intense focus on education from an early age may significantly strain children’s eyes, contributing to myopia development.

By Shin Ji-hye(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)