Around 1 in 3 children and teens around the world is short (near)-sighted, with the global prevalence of myopia set to top 740 million cases by 2050 in this age group, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Female sex, East Asian or urban area residence, and educational level all seem to be key factors influencing prevalence, the findings indicate. Short (near)-sightedness (myopia), which describes difficulty seeing objects at a distance, typically starts in early childhood and tends to worsen with age, explain the researchers.
It has emerged as a major public health concern, particularly in Southeast Asia, they add. But the most recent global review of its prevalence only went up to 2015. To obtain a more up to date picture, with a view to informing healthcare policy and preventive efforts, the researchers estimated the current and future prevalence of myopia up to 2050 among 5 to 19 year olds.
They drew on all relevant research and government reports, published up to June 2023. They included a total of 276 studies, involving 5,410,945 children and teens and 1,969,090 cases of myopia, from 50 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, North and Latin America. They pooled the data from all of these studies, taking account of geographical, temporal, and other variables.
Their analysis revealed a more than tripling in overall prevalence between 1990 and 2023, rising from 24% in 1990-2000 to 25% in 2001-.