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The association between digital screen time and myopia: A systematic review.
Carla Lanca1, Seang-Mei Saw1,2,3
1Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore City, Singapore.
Summary
Digital screen time
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology and Public Health
Background:
- Myopia prevalence has increased globally, with digital screen time identified as a potential environmental risk factor.
- Existing research on the association between screen time and myopia risk presents inconsistent findings.
- Educational factors have also been implicated in the rise of myopia, alongside potential recent influences of digital device usage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and determine the association between digital screen time and the risk of developing prevalent or incident myopia in children.
- To assess the relationship between digital screen time and the risk of myopia progression in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library.
- Included studies comprised nine cross-sectional and six cohort studies, encompassing a total of 49,789 children aged 3 to 19 years.
- Meta-analysis was performed on five studies (n=20,889) using a random-effects model to calculate pooled odds ratios.
Main Results:
- Seven of the fifteen included studies reported a significant association between screen time and myopia.
- Evidence regarding screen time and myopia risk is mixed, though more recent studies suggest a trend of association.
- The meta-analysis of five studies yielded a pooled odds ratio of 1.02 (95% CI: 0.96-1.08; p=0.48), indicating no statistically significant association between screen time and prevalent/incident myopia.
Conclusions:
- The current evidence on the association between digital screen time and myopia in children remains inconclusive.
- Further research employing objective measures of screen time is required to definitively assess its impact on myopia development and progression.
- While trends suggest a possible link, the pooled analysis did not confirm screen time as a significant risk factor for myopia.
