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Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dirani, M; Tong, L; Gazzard, G; Zhang, X; Chia, A; Young, TL; Rose, KA; Mitchell, P; Saw, S-M
Published in: Br J Ophthalmol
August 2009

AIM: To investigate the relationship of outdoor activities and myopia in Singapore teenage children. METHODS: Teenage children (1249 participants), examined in the Singapore Cohort study Of Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM), during 2006 were included in analyses. Participants completed questionnaires that quantified total outdoor activity, and underwent an eye examination. RESULTS: The mean total time spent on outdoor activity was 3.24 h/day. The total outdoor activity (h/day) was significantly associated with myopia, odds ratio 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) (p = 0.004), after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, school type, books read per week, height, parental myopia, parental education and intelligence quotient. In addition, the total time spent outdoors was associated with significantly less myopic refraction (regression coefficient = 0.17; CI 0.10 to 0.25, p<0.001) and shorter axial length (regression coefficient -0.06 (CI -0.1 to -0.03, p<0.001). Total sports was also significantly negatively associated with myopia (p = 0.008) but not indoor sports (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Participants who spent more time outdoors were less likely to be myopic. Thus, outdoor activity may protect against development of myopia in children, supporting recent Australian data. As near work did not predict outdoor activity, this can be viewed as an independent factor and not merely the reciprocal of near work.

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Published In

Br J Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1468-2079

Publication Date

August 2009

Volume

93

Issue

8

Start / End Page

997 / 1000

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Sports
  • Singapore
  • Sex Factors
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Myopia
  • Male
  • Leisure Activities
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Dirani, M., Tong, L., Gazzard, G., Zhang, X., Chia, A., Young, T. L., … Saw, S.-M. (2009). Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children. Br J Ophthalmol, 93(8), 997–1000. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2008.150979
Dirani, M., L. Tong, G. Gazzard, X. Zhang, A. Chia, T. L. Young, K. A. Rose, P. Mitchell, and S. -. M. Saw. “Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children.Br J Ophthalmol 93, no. 8 (August 2009): 997–1000. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2008.150979.
Dirani M, Tong L, Gazzard G, Zhang X, Chia A, Young TL, et al. Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009 Aug;93(8):997–1000.
Dirani, M., et al. “Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children.Br J Ophthalmol, vol. 93, no. 8, Aug. 2009, pp. 997–1000. Pubmed, doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.150979.
Dirani M, Tong L, Gazzard G, Zhang X, Chia A, Young TL, Rose KA, Mitchell P, Saw S-M. Outdoor activity and myopia in Singapore teenage children. Br J Ophthalmol. 2009 Aug;93(8):997–1000.

Published In

Br J Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1468-2079

Publication Date

August 2009

Volume

93

Issue

8

Start / End Page

997 / 1000

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Sports
  • Singapore
  • Sex Factors
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Myopia
  • Male
  • Leisure Activities
  • Humans