Spending more time outdoors may prevent myopia in children

The results of this review suggest that long-term interventions to increase the time spent outdoors may reduce the development of myopia in children. These interventions may also reduce the progression of myopia (as assessed by changes in refractive errors and axial lengths), but the low certainty of the evidence makes it difficult to draw conclusions.

The majority of the trials were cluster randomised and school based. The interventions included classroom time outdoors, routine for spending recess outdoors, motivational tools for spending time outdoors, and encouragement through messages via electronic media.