Looking at objects from a close distance for long periods is a major cause of myopia in children and those who attend cram schools or after-school daycare centers are more likely to have worse eyesight, a study has found.
The study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, was jointly conducted by researchers from National Changhua University of Education, University College London, Taipei City Hospital, National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University of Sports and other institutes, using statistics provided in the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s reports released once every four years.
One of the researchers, Ku Po-wen (古博文), a distinguished professor at National Changhua University of Education’s Graduate Institute of Sports and Health, on Monday said the study tracked changes in the eyesight of nearly 2,000 elementary-school children nationwide and found that the number of students with myopia increased by almost 30 percent over four years.
Most children who developed myopia attended a daycare center or cram school nearly everyday after school, where they attended more classes, did homework or took written tests, Ku said.
Each child on average spent 2.78 hours per day at a daycare center or cram school, he said, adding that the average time spent by a first and second-grade student at such an institute was 2.29 hours, while third and four-grade students spent 2.84 hours and fifth and sixth-grade students spent 3.1 hours.
The average time a child spent on the Internet or reading was estimated at 40 minutes per day, but the time they spent at daycare centers or cram schools was 4.5 times more than that, he said.
At school, children are required to take a 10-minute break following every 40-minute class and many would leave the classroom during those breaks, Ku said.
In contrast, at daycare centers or cram schools, children often have to read or look at objects from a close distance without taking any breaks for long periods of time, which significantly raises their risk of developing myopia, he said.
According to the ministry’s statistics, while less than 10 percent of kindergarten children have myopia, the percentage reaches 20 percent by the time they reach first grade and exceeds 70 percent by sixth grade, he said, adding that many children’s vision begin to significantly worsen in elementary school.
Looking at objects from a close distance for long periods of time — whether reading, drawing, playing with building blocks or using a smartphone — can cause myopia, Changhua’s Show Chwan Memorial Hospital ophtalmologist Kuan Pei-tzu (官珮慈) said.
Children’s eyeballs grow at a natural pace, but looking at objects from a close distance for long periods of time causes the eyeball’s axial length to grow too fast and give the eyeball an oblong shape, resulting in myopia, she said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
Starting next month, people who signed up for the TPass 2.0 program can receive a 15 percent rebate for trips on mid to long-distance freeway buses or on buses headed to the east coast twice every month, the Highway Bureau said. Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the government started TPass 2.0 to offer rebates to frequent riders of public transportation, or people who use city buses, highway buses, trains or MRTs at least 11 times per month. As of Nov. 12, 265,000 people have registered for TPass 2.0, and about 16.56 million trips between February and September qualified for
HOW RUDE: Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific defense chief condemned China’s response to Takaichi’s remarks as inappropriate and heavy-handed, while praising Japan’s nerve A former US defense official under former US president Joe Biden has voiced support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her remarks suggesting that Japan could help defend Taiwan, while describing Beijing’s response as “inappropriate.” Ely Ratner, who served as assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs from 2021 to this year, said in a CNA interview that Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan simply reflected Japan’s position and stance on Taiwan. On Nov. 7, the Japanese prime minister commented in a parliamentary session that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival” that could trigger a military
RSS