We're Facing a Myopia 'Epidemic', Scientists Say. Here's Why

There has been a rise in the adult onset of near-sightedness among late baby boomers.

People born in the late 1960s are 10 percent more likely to be near-sighted than people born three decades earlier.

The number of severe cases doubled over the same period, but the biggest leap was in individuals who experienced their vision changes later in life.

Increased screen time is thought to be one of the factors that cause the condition, as well as genetic and environmental factors.

"It is now a pressing public health concern, with an emerging 'epidemic' of myopia, characterized by increased prevalence and a whole population shift towards younger age at onset and greater severity," the researchers explain in their paper.

The oldest group of people covered by the Biobank study were people born between 1939 and 1944, and 12.6 percent of them developed myopia in childhood. The figures for the youngest cohort, born between 1966 and 1970, increased to 13.6 percent and 15.6 percent respectively.

Most of the additional adult cases were mild, though the proportion of those with myopia in the oldest and youngest cohort increased. The highest percentage was recorded for those born between 1955 and 1959 and it shows a worrying trend.

Changes in the nutrition of diet in childhood, the use of digital screens, and shifts in teaching methods are some of the reasons for the jump.

According to the research, an increase in the number of people staying in education past the age of 18 could be a factor. Several previous studies have shown an association between higher education and a higher risk of myopia.

There has been a shift over time in the proportion of children opting to stay in higher and further education and, in parallel, changing methods of teaching, widespread use of TV and more recently the widespread use of electronic screen devices and extension of such activities into free time," write the researchers.

More and more people are developing the eye disorder, while a higher proportion of people who develop it are reporting more severe cases.

According to the researchers, the evidence shows that the trends can be reversed or even stopped.

Further investigation will be required into how different influences play into the risk of melancholia, and how childhood rates differ from adult rates.

A mixed economy of research is needed to improve our understanding of risk factors and how to tackle them.

The research has been published.