Time Spent Outdoors Associated With Reduced Myopia Risk.

BBC News  (10/25) reports, "The time children spend outdoors could be linked to a reduced risk of being short-sighted," according to research presented at an ophthalmology meeting. "An analysis of eight previous studies by University of Cambridge researchers found that for each additional hour spent outside per week, the risk of myopia" was decreased by two percent. "Exposure to natural light and time spent looking at distant objects could be key factors, they said." The study authors "concluded that short-sighted children spent on average 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than those who either had normal vision or were long-sighted."