Increasing Time in Outdoor Environment Could Counteract the Rising Prevalence of Myopia in Indian School-Going Children

Myopia is being seen as a serious public health concern of the 21st century due to a significant rise in its prevalence in the last few decades. Although East Asian regions are the most affected, with its prevalence rates as high as 80–90% in teenagers, the recent literature indicates a slow rise in myopia prevalence among Indian children. The combination of rapid development in digital technology (used for entertainment, playing games to learning) and the indoor-centric lifestyle such as intense/prolonged near work to strive for academic excellence and limited time in the outdoor environment may result in an epidemic of myopia in India. Studies conducted on various animal species and humans have reported a negative correlation between myopia development and increased exposure to outdoor ambient light (during day) indicating time spent outdoors as an important modifiable risk factor for myopia. In this article, we describe the current myopia scenario in India, ways to tackle the future epidemic considering the importance of day light exposure (spending time in outdoors) in counteracting myopia and reported possible public health policies for initiation at a school level that could potentially help in myopia prevention and to certain extent, control its progression.