Pandemic of Childhood Myopia. Could New Indoor LED Lighting Be Part of the Solution?

David Baeza Moyano and Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano
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David Baeza Moyano: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Campus Montepríncipe, Universidad San Pablo CEU, 28668 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano: Arquitecture and Design Depertment, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Campus Montpríncipe, Universidad San Pablo CEU, 28668 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: The existence of a growing myopia pandemic is an unquestionable fact for health authorities around the world. Different possible causes have been put forward over the years, such as a possible genetic origin, the current excess of children’s close-up work compared to previous stages in history, insufficient natural light, or a multifactorial cause. Scientists are looking for different possible solutions to alleviate it, such as a reduction of time or a greater distance for children’s work, the use of drugs, optometric correction methods, surgical procedures, and spending more time outdoors. There is a growing number of articles suggesting insufficient natural light as a possible cause of the increasing levels of childhood myopia around the globe. Technological progress in the world of lighting is making it possible to have more monochromatic LED emission peaks, and because of this, it is possible to create spectral distributions of visible light that increasingly resemble natural light in the visible range. The possibility of creating indoor luminaires that emit throughout the visible spectrum from purple to infrared can now be a reality that could offer a new avenue of research to fight this pandemic.

Keywords: daylighting; circadian lighting; indoor lighting; dopamine; myopia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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