Children Who Get More Sunlight Less Likely to Need Glasses
Researchers in China say kids who play outside for at least 40 minutes daily are less likely to develop myopia, the inability to properly focus on distant objects without eyewear or surgery, or nearsightedness.
The team tracked 1,900 6-year-old schoolchildren at 12 different schools between 2010 and 2013. Only 30.4 percent of those who engaged in extra outdoor activity developed myopia while in the control group 39.5 percent of children developed the condition.
"Both schools and parents should encourage students to spend more time outdoors so long as the UV protection measures are undertaken," Dr. Mingguang He of Sun Yat-sen University says.