08-Jun-18, Global News
There might be something to the stereotype of the nerd with glasses. According to new research, nearsightedness is related to education.
%20The%20Canadian%20Press_AP_Patrick%20Semansky.jpg "Does studying too much make you nearsighted (c) The Canadian Press AP Patrick Semansky")
Image: The Canadian press / AP / Patrick Semansky
A study published in the BMJ found that the more years a person spends in school, the more likely they are to be nearsighted, or myopic. In some East Asian countries, 80-90 per cent of children are myopic by the time they leave school. By 2050, half of the world's population will be nearsighted.
Singapore, which has one of the world's highest rates of myopia, has an ongoing public health campaign to encourage more outdoor play to protect against nearsightedness.