Physical activity improves eyesight.
Snippet from publication by Dr. Siofra Harrington, Dr. Veronica O'Dwyer, Prof. John Kearney. Does engaging in physical activity and sports lead to better vision and stereoacuity?
Physical activity is essential to the physical and mental development of children. Physical inactivity accounts for 9% of worldwide premature mortality. It also contributes to increased visual impairment in mid as well as higher prevalence of myopia (shortsightedness).
Our research at Technological University Dublin focuses on the association between visual function in children and their engagement in physical activities. The study sampled 1,626 school children from 37 urban/Save and approve rural schools in Ireland, both from socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged areas.
All participants’ eyes were inspected during the course of the school day, and parents/guardians filled out extensive questionnaires on the physical activity of their dependants. It was discovered that active participants who regularly engaged in physical activities, including sports, had better vision (both near and far). Moreover, these participants had better 3D vision and were less likely to need spectacles.
One in ten participants reported no physical activity, which rose to one in three among visually impaired participants. The study linked sedentary living with visual impairment (inability to see half a standard eye chart in either eye), amblyopia (lazy eyes), and myopia (shortsightedness).
The takeaway is that engaging in physical activities and cutting down near-sedentary activities are adaptable lifestyle changes that may prevent visual impairment and refractive errors such as myopia. Eyecare clinicians should include an assessment of physical activity engagement in consultations, incorporate physical activity advice and plans in managing children’s eyecare, and assess the benefits during follow-ups.
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