Dose–Response Relationship of Outdoor Exposure and Myopia Indicators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Various Research Methods

Ciao-Lin Ho, Wei-Fong Wu and Yiing Mei Liou
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Ciao-Lin Ho: School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
Wei-Fong Wu: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital Ren-Ai Branch/Department of Allergy and Immunology, West Garden Hospital, Taipei 10864, Taiwan
Yiing Mei Liou: School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: Myopia in children has dramatically increased worldwide. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of outdoor light exposure on myopia. According to research data from 13 studies of 15,081 children aged 4–14 at baseline, outdoor light exposure significantly reduced myopia incidence/prevalence (odds ratio [OR] = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80–0.91, p < 0.00001; I2 = 90%), spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) by 0.15 D/year (0.09–0.27, p < 0.0001), and axial elongation by 0.08 mm/year (−0.14 to −0.02, p = 0.02). The benefits of outdoor light exposure intervention, according to pooled overall results, included decreases in three myopia indicators: 50% in myopia incidence, 32.9% in SER, and 24.9% in axial elongation for individuals in Asia. Daily outdoor light exposure of more than 120 min was the most effective intervention, and weekly intervention time exhibited a dose–response relationship with all three indicators. Subgroup comparisons revealed that interventional studies report greater benefits from outdoor light exposure compared with cohort and cross-sectional studies, and individuals with myopia in intervention studies experienced slightly greater benefits than individuals without, in terms of SER and axial elongation. Therefore, this study suggests 120 min/day of outdoor light exposure at school.

Keywords: axial length; near-sightedness; preschool; school age; spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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