New programme aims to study effect of the outdoors on myopia in children
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 7 Apr 11;
THE long and short of the programme is this: Does spending time outdoors reduce the likelihood of a child getting myopia or short-sightedness?
To zoom in on the answer, an outdoor activities programme was launched last week.
The one-year project is funded by the National Medical Research Council and costs $200,000.
Some 450 children aged six to 10 will be selected from applicants for the project run by the National University Health System (NUHS) and National Parks Board.
Half of these 450 children and their families will visit a different park each weekend for organised activities such as guided tours and games, starting from May 21.
The families can win prizes such as cash vouchers for regular attendance. They are encouraged to turn up every weekend but it is not compulsory.
The other half of the group will not take part in the park activities to allow researchers to compare the two groups and study the effects of spending time outdoors.
All the children and their siblings will be given free eye checks, referrals to doctors if necessary, as well as subsidies for such medical visits.
Studies in recent years in the United States and Australia have shown that children who spend time outdoors cut their risk of suffering from myopia by up to 20 per cent.
Scientists believe this is because the unobstructed view trains the eye to see better.
Myopia happens when the lens in the eye cannot focus images on the retina. Singapore has one of the highest rates of myopia in the world, with a quarter of children being short-sighted by age seven, and half by age 10.
NUHS professor Saw Seang Mei, who is the programme's principal investigator, said the reason for the high rate of myopia in Singapore is that children stay indoors and spend a considerable amount of time reading and writing.
'Children with myopia are also more likely to become blind later in life, due to diseases like macular degeneration, so we need to intervene early,' she added.
In 2004, the Health Promotion Board introduced the annual National Eye Care Week. Primary schools are encouraged to set aside time during the week to teach pupils about taking care of their eyes.
If the outdoor programme is successful, it will be expanded to a larger trial of 2,000 children early next year.
One eventual goal is to encourage schools to have more activities out in the open.
Prof Saw said: 'For example, seven- year-old Singaporean children spend only about five to six hours outdoors every week, including the physical education classes in school. This is not enough.'
Ideally, she added, children should spend a minimum of 10 hours outdoors weekly.
The Health Promotion Board advises parents to take their children to the playground a few times a week, and to make sure they take breaks from reading or using the computer every half-hour.
Dr Au Eong Kah Guan, an ophthalmologist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said the study could be important if it is carried out rigorously and with large enough numbers.
He added: 'Currently, nothing has been proven consistently by multiple studies to prevent myopia so no measure can be recommended routinely.
'If the programme is effective and can be done in different countries, it could be recommended more widely.'
Similar programmes are ongoing in Australia and China.
A trial run of the programme - with 40 children over the last three months - saw a good response, with 75 per cent of the families showing up every weekend.
Madam Seetha, one of the participants, said the experience was also a good time to bond with her two children - Chris, nine, and Harshini, seven.
The 42-year-old immigration officer added: 'We work as a team for some of the games and we get to learn about nature together.'
To apply to join the programme, call 6516-4985, 6516-6930 or 9050-3867. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents without any severe chronic medical conditions are eligible.
Outdoor activities can help prevent myopia in children: study
Alvina Soh Channel NewsAsia 11 Apr 11;
SINGAPORE : The National University Health System (NUHS) is urging children in Singapore to get out and play, in its latest myopia prevention study.
The year-long study aims to find out if spending more time outdoors can help prevent myopia in children who are between six and 10 years old.
Singapore has one of the highest rates of myopia in the world.
NUHS said this is worrying, as half of the children are myopic by the time they turn 10.
About eight in 10 will have myopia when they reach 18.
It added that the average age of the onset of myopia is eight years old.
Professor Saw Seang Mei, vice-dean for research at the National University Health System, said: "We want to target a group which is susceptible to the environmental factors, so if we increase the outdoor time, it may be able to prevent the development and progression of myopia in this age range."
NUHS said there has been a recent rise in myopia trends in recent years.
In the study, children will take part in weekly activities in the parks - organised by the National Parks Board - such as guided walks and scavenger hunts.
Tay Boon Sin, assistant director at the National Parks Board, said: "Kids nowadays do not spend enough time outdoors, so we really hope that by spending more time outdoors, not only do they get in touch with our parks, nature, they can actually have a more healthy lifestyle."
The study is expected to be completed by April 2012.
The findings will be used to develop a programme to reduce myopia, obesity and other chronic illnesses in Singapore children.
- CNA/ms
