Smartphones causing ‘visual health crisis’ in China

 22-Jul-16, Business Insider Singapore

A major Chinese health research center recently published a white paper on the country’s visual health. The findings weren’t great.

Image: Reuters / Damir Sagolj

The main two takeaways from the paper, from Peking University’s China Centre for Health Development, were:

• Prevalence of visual problems in China is far above the global average
• The problem is quickly getting worse

Some factors contributing to this crisis are the urbanization, sedentary lifestyle, and prevalence of smartphones that have taken over China in recent years. The white paper cited the “intensity of near-range work and the decreasing intensity of outdoor activities, due to aggravating academic pressures and extensive use of electronic devices” as the main causes.

Global Growth Markets estimates about 2.4 mn people in China had vision correction surgery in China in 2015, mainly LASIK. The number is forecast to increase to 4.3 mn people by 2020, creating a market worth over USD4.5 bn. 

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