Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2008.150979
Title: Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children
Authors: Dirani, M.
Tong, L.
Gazzard, G.
Zhang, X.
Chia, A.
Young, T.L. 
Rose, K.A.
Mitchell, P.
Saw, S.-M. 
Issue Date: Aug-2009
Citation: Dirani, M., Tong, L., Gazzard, G., Zhang, X., Chia, A., Young, T.L., Rose, K.A., Mitchell, P., Saw, S.-M. (2009-08). Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children. British Journal of Ophthalmology 93 (8) : 997-1000. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2008.150979
Abstract: Aim: To investigate the relationship of outdoor activities and myopia in Singapore teenage children. Methods: Teenage children (1249 participants), examined in the Singapore Cohort study Of Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM), during 2006 were included in analyses. Participants completed questionnaires that quantified total outdoor activity, and underwent an eye examination. Results: The mean total time spent on outdoor activity was 3.24 h/day. The total outdoor activity (h/day) was significantly associated with myopia, odds ratio 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) (p=0.004), after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, school type, books read per week, height, parental myopia, parental education and intelligence quotient. In addition, the total time spent outdoors was associated with significantly less myopic refraction (regression coefficient =0.17; CI 0.10 to 0.25, p<0.001) and shorter axial length (regression coefficient -0.06 (CI -0.1 to -0.03, p<0.001). Total sports was also significantly negatively associated with myopia (p=0.008) but not indoor sports (p=0.16). Conclusions: Participants who spent more time outdoors were less likely to be myopic. Thus, outdoor activity may protect against development of myopia in children, supporting recent Australian data. As near work did not predict outdoor activity, this can be viewed as an independent factor and not merely the reciprocal of near work.
Source Title: British Journal of Ophthalmology
URI: http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/53465
ISSN: 00071161
DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2008.150979
Appears in Collections:Staff Publications

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