The higher your education, the more likely you are to be short-sighted

A recent study found that the more educated a person is, the higher the likelihood they are short-sighted. Here we explain just how these two things are related.

The old myth that myopia, or short-sightedness, is due mostly to genetic factors has been debunked. A German study has revealed that the likelihood of becoming short-sighted increases with every year of school completed. In other words, the more educated a person is, the higher the probability they will be short-sighted, independent of genetic predisposition.

The study conducted at Mainz University examined short-sightedness in 4,658 German participants aged 35-74 years. Of great interest was the finding of an increased incidence of myopia among those with a higher level of education. Among those who had completed secondary school, 51  % were short-sighted, whereas only 21  % of those who had not finished their schooling had the condition.

Up to 90% of East Asians are short-sighted

The relationship between education and short-sightedness is particularly pronounced in East Asia, where up to 90% of young adults are short-sighted. While it could be presumed that East Asian genes simply predispose people from the region to short-sightedness, studies carried out to date show no greater genetic susceptibility to short-sightedness in Asians.

The reason is more likely that, there, children begin preparing for university entry already in primary school and, because of that, they read a lot and spend extended periods of time in front their computers. Another reason is shorter periods of time spent outside, which likely also influences the development of myopia.

Too many indoor activities can increase the chances of myopia

A possible defence against the widespread incidence of myopia is to spend more time with our children outside. Studies have shown that the risk of developing myopia can be reduced in children when they spend around 15 hours a week outdoors during daylight hours. And time spent outdoors is not only good for the eyes but for the entire body, keeping people happy and healthy at any age.

It’s also important to remember that your eyes need a rest from time to time. This includes not engaging in activities that require looking at things closely—such as reading or using computers or smartphones—for more than 30 hours a week.

Today’s world is exciting. Research is constantly providing us with greater and more in-depth insight into the health of our eyes and how to maintain it. We could hardly have ever imagined that education could be related to short-sightedness but the connection is logical. More education means more reading, more study, and more strain on our eyes. And this has consequences for our eyes if we don’t look after them. And the same goes with our children—more time spent indoors means more time spent looking at objects up-close and can lead, therefore, to problems seeing objects in the distance.