Children's eyesight is declining year by year, and with the spread of the new coronavirus infection, there are more opportunities to see smartphones and tablet devices in online classes, and there are concerns that it may have a negative effect on the eyes.
When NHK conducted a fact-finding survey with the cooperation of an elementary school in Kyoto City and an expert, the number of children who were judged to have "myopia" that could not be detected by a visual acuity test was more than twice that of children with poor eyesight. I understand.
In November last year, NHK conducted a fact-finding survey of myopia at "Kyoto Elementary and Junior High School attached to Kyoto University of Education" in Kyoto City with the cooperation of ophthalmologists.
Myopia is generally suspected of reducing the value of the visual acuity test, but in many cases the length of the eyeball is extended and the eye is in focus in front of the retina, which senses brightness, color, and shape. Wake up at.
For this reason, it is necessary to use a special device to measure the length of the eyeball's depth "eye axis" from the cornea on the surface of the eye to the innermost retina.
In the usual visual acuity test conducted at this school last June, 23.4% had "visual acuity less than 0.7" required to see an ophthalmologist, but the head of the "eye axis" of 576 children. When the shape of the pods and cornea was measured, 54.5% of the children were judged to have myopia, which was more than half, and it was found that more than twice as many children could be said to have "hidden myopia" that cannot be detected by a visual acuity test.
The number of children with myopia increased as the grade went up, with 23.5% in the first grade, 40.4% in the second grade, 52.1% in the third grade, 64.6% in the fourth grade, 70.5% in the fifth grade, and 78.3% in the sixth grade. ..
Once the eye axis is extended, it does not return, and it is said that the average length is about 24 mm for adults, but it has already reached the average length of adults, which is 24.2 mm for 6th graders, and some children have myopia. The reality of progress has been clarified.
Dr. Tae Igarashi of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, an ophthalmologist who supervised the survey, said, "The longer you look near the eye axis, the longer you look. It's an unprecedentedly dangerous time. We need to take all possible measures, such as spending less time looking at things at close range and resting our eyes at a distance. "
How to control the rapid increase in myopia
Myopia is rapidly increasing around the world, especially in Asia, and research groups such as Australia estimate that by 2050, about half of the world's population, or about 4.8 billion people, will have myopia. ..
WHO = The World Health Organization also said that there are serious public health concerns, and various measures are being taken around the world.
Myopia caused by the lengthening of the "eye axis" is said to progress as the time to look closer within 30 cm increases, so the American Academy of Ophthalmology said that after 20 minutes of continuous looking closer, 20 We recommend the "20-20-20" rule of looking at something at least 6 meters away for 20 seconds.
Furthermore, "exposure to the sun" is thought to be effective in preventing myopia.
Recent studies have shown that you can work outdoors for about two hours a day and get enough light to control the onset of myopia. In Taiwan, you can spend more than two hours a day outdoors. As a result of working on this for about 10 years, the percentage of elementary school students with a visual acuity of less than 0.8 has decreased by more than 5%.
Dr. Tae Igarashi of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, an ophthalmologist, said, "The speed at which myopia progresses depends on whether or not you live a life conscious of being exposed to the outside light by reducing the time you spend looking near continuously. It is important to give guidance to the children, but it is also important to raise the awareness of the children themselves. "
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology From next year to large-scale survey nationwide
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will start the first large-scale survey of 9,000 elementary and junior high school students nationwide to investigate the length of the depth of the eyes from next year in order to understand the actual condition of myopia of children that can not be understood only by a normal visual acuity test. I am doing it.
Myopia, which makes things in the distance blurry and difficult to see, is caused by the inability to focus on the retina, which senses brightness, color, and shape.
According to last year's "School Health Statistics Survey," the percentage of people with myopia of less than 1.0 was 34.6% for elementary school students, 57.5% for junior high school students, and 67.6% for high school students, the worst since the statistics were collected. In order to clarify the actual condition of myopia of children, we will start a survey of about 9,000 elementary and junior high schools nationwide from next year.
In the survey, a special device was used to correctly position the focal point on the retina in addition to the depth of the eyeball from the cornea on the surface of the eye to the innermost retina and the length of the "eye axis". We plan to measure the degree of myopia progress for 3 years in a row.
It has been pointed out that the new coronavirus has increased the chances of spending time at home, and children are increasingly overworking their eyes, such as using smartphones and handheld game consoles and taking online classes.
Chuichi Miki, Chief of Health Education and Food Education Division of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, said, "I would like to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and myopia, such as the use of digital devices such as smartphones and outdoor activities, and consider effective measures."