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Green Space Morphology and School Myopia in China
Yahan Yang1, Huipeng Liao2,3, Lanqin Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China.
Green space structure, including its proportion and aggregation, is linked to reduced myopia prevalence in Chinese students. Better green space connectivity correlates with slower increases in myopia, offering insights for urban planning and school environments.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Rapid urbanization in China correlates with rising myopia prevalence.
- Previous research suggests green space exposure may reduce myopia risk.
- Specific green space geometry and distribution characteristics require further investigation for effective myopia interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between myopia and specific green space morphology using high-resolution satellite imaging data.
- To understand how green space characteristics influence myopia risk in school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 138,735 students (grades 1-4) in Shenzhen, China.
- Analysis of land cover data from high-resolution Gaofen-2 satellite images to calculate eight landscape metrics for green space.
- Assessment of 2-year cumulative myopia prevalence change at the school level and myopia incidence at the student level, controlling for confounding factors.
Main Results:
- Higher proportion, aggregation, and connectivity of green space were associated with slower increases in myopia prevalence.
- A 1-unit increase in the myopia-related green space morphology index showed a significant negative association with myopia prevalence change at the school level (-1.7%) and a reduction in incident myopia risk at the individual level (9.8%).
- The association between green space morphology and reduced myopia risk remained significant after adjusting for outdoor time, screen time, reading time, and parental myopia.
Conclusions:
- The structure of green space is associated with a decreased relative risk of myopia.
- Findings may inform urban planning and school design for myopia prevention.
- Further interventional studies are needed to establish causation and assess the impact of specific green space designs on school myopia.
