Helping kids with myopia study better – adjustable glasses in China a low-cost solution that could benefit millions in rural areas deprived of eye care
- Millions of schoolchildren in China are short-sighted, and many lack access to opticians or glasses
- A UK study shows that wearing self-adjustable glasses dramatically improves their vision, and their academic results
A plan to distribute self-adjustable glasses to children in rural China could not only improve their vision, but also lead to better learning outcomes.
A study of 379 schoolchildren in Guangzhou, the biggest city in southern China, found that pupils had better vision when they were able to adjust the strength of eyeglasses themselves.
Queen’s University Belfast led the project, which Orbis International carried out on children aged 11 to 16, in partnership with the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre.
“When children don’t get glasses, their academic performance is significantly worse. Giving a child glasses makes a bigger impact than parental education or income. It can impact whether they go onto high school or not,” said Professor Nathan Congdon, research director at Orbis International.
“We wanted to focus on how we can improve opportunities for children with short-sightedness in rural China where there is limited access to good-quality vision services and accurate glasses.”
