Higher Education and More Reading Linked to Nearsightedness

via Mercola.com

Researchers in Singapore have found that nearsightedness, or myopia, is more common among the highly educated and those on the academic fast track.

Educational level and academic achievement seem to be predictors of myopia. These factors could be closely related to reading and other "near-work" activities performed at a close distance.

Nearsightedness is on the rise in developed nations, particularly Asian countries. In the Singapore army, for example, the rate of myopia in new recruits has increased from 26% in the 1970s to 79% in the 1990s.

Although genetics are thought to be important in determining who becomes nearsighted, the rapid increase in myopia during the past century suggests that other factors besides heredity play a major role, the researchers point out. They suggest one possible explanation is that near-work activities, such as reading, increase the risk of myopia.

The investigators found that the odds of being nearsighted were increased nearly fourfold among soldiers who had been enrolled in gifted or accelerated programs in school. Having finished 2 years of pre-college courses also quadrupled the odds of nearsightedness. Likewise, the risk was more than doubled for soldiers who had participated in extra lessons after school.

The investigators believe that educational attainment can serve as a "marker" for a person's amount of near-work activities. Children enrolled in extra lessons after school, for instance, spend additional time reading, writing and completing homework assignments.

British Journal of Ophthalmology July 2001;85:855-860