Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study assessed the efficacy of increasing time spent outdoors at school in preventing myopia. Twelve schools in Guangzhou, China, took part in the three-year experiment. For half of the schools, one additional 40-minute class of outdoor activities was added to each school day-and parents were encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school hours. The second half continued their usual pattern of activity.

Findings indicated that among the 6-year-old children, the additional outdoor activity at school compared with usual activity resulted in a reduced incidence rate of myopia over the next three years.

According to study authors, myopia has reached epidemic levels in parts of East and Southeast Asia. The incidence is growing in other parts of the world as well.

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