Living near nature is good for children’s eyesight – because scientists fear too much screen time, too little time outdoors and POLLUTION leaves them needing glasses

Living near a green space can prevent children from needing glasses, research shows.

Children who live near parks and fields are less likely to have poor or deteriorating eyesight.

The number of cases of myopia is increasing – especially in urban areas. Possible causes include too much screen time, too little time outdoors and air pollution.

The scientists looked at data from 286,801 children aged seven to twelve in Guangzhou, a city in China with 18 million inhabitants. Their eyesight was tested over three years, as well as factors such as proximity to green space and screen time.

Better access to green space was linked to stronger eyesight and slower vision decline.

Green space had a more protective effect on boys than on girls.

The authors noted that the boys were more likely to be physically active and spend less time on their screens if their neighborhood had more greenery.

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University, China, published in Environment International, wrote: ‘Our findings suggest that increasing exposure to green space could benefit children’s visual development and reduce the risk of visual impairment by reducing air pollution and recreational screen time while increasing physical activity. out of time.”