Myopia and Work

Myopia is a vision disorder characterized by difficulty seeing things from a distance. I believe there's a good chance that you, the reader of this text, are (just like me) part of the group of nearsighted individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the adult population has myopia, but its prevalence has been increasing over the years, with a projection that half of the population will be affected by the year 2050.

Does work influence the development of myopia?

A group of researchers conducted a systematic review to find evidence in the medical literature to answer this question. One criterion of this research was to select studies where work involved the need to bring the eyes closer to an object, including the need for reading on paper or computer screens.

There are some limitations to this type of study, as working conditions vary greatly in different publications. It is challenging to standardize variables such as the exact distance between the screen and the eyes, the brightness intensity, and its relationship with ambient lighting, continuous screen usage time, breaks, or task alternation, to name a few examples. The authors concluded that there is an increased likelihood of myopia being associated with "close work" by about 20%.

Although this number should be approached with caution, the need for intervention and education in ocular health for employees, both within and outside of work, should not be ignored. Our interaction with the world has increasingly been mediated by screens, and thus, this serves as a warning.

Full article: Dutheil F et al. Myopia and Near Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 3;20(1):875. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010875