Editorial | Rise in Hong Kong child myopia calls for greater focus
- Number of city children with eye condition hit a record during pandemic as reliance on screens grew, and the problem remains today
An overlooked side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been revealed by a study that found a record number of Hong Kong children, aged six to eight, suffering from myopia. The research should lead to greater efforts to counter lingering habits that contribute to a condition that can lead to lifelong eye problems.
Chinese University researchers blamed the rise in myopia on coronavirus restrictions that only deepened the city’s obsession with smartphones and tablets. Children were doing more schoolwork online and forced to spend extended periods indoors.
The pandemic rules may be gone, but the problem remains, according to Jason Yam Cheuk-sing, an associate professor at the university’s department of ophthalmology and visual sciences. Yam said the prevalence of myopia was studied among 20,527 children across three periods between 2015 and 2021.
Data showed the number of children suffering from the condition during the pre-pandemic period from 2015 to 2019 stood at 23.8 per cent. However, by a brief easing of restrictions between March and December 2021, it had reached a record 36.2 per cent.
Myopia prevalence also nearly doubled among six-year-olds to more than 25 per cent. The university first raised the alarm about a pandemic connection two years ago after studying a smaller group of children in the same age range.