title: Reading, writing, working on a computer or watching television, and myopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to investigate on a large population if reading, writing, working on a computer or watching television might be associated with the occurrence of myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5865 schoolchildren were examined (2792 boys and 3073 girls, at the age 6-18 years, mean age 11.9, S.D. 3.3). The examination included retinoscopy under cycloplegia induced with 1% tropicamide. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent of at least -0.50 dioptres. Mean refractive error was -1.2, SD 1.3. (The students and their parents completed a questionnaire on the child's visual work. Data analysis was performed using independence chi-squared Pearson test; p-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that myopia occurs more often in students who read and write >2 hours/day (p<0.001), and also work >0.8 hours/day on a computer (p<0.01). Furthermore, no increase in the prevalence of myopia in subjects who spend >2 hours/day watching television was found (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results indicate that reading, writing, working on a computer might be associated with the occurrence of myopia among schoolchildren. Watching television is not related to the occurrence of myopia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. czepita@pro.onet.pl
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czepita
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mojsa
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ustianowska
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czepita
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lachowicz
mesh_terms: D000065:Accommodation, Ocular; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016288:Computer Terminals; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011932:Reading; D012307:Risk Factors; D013690:Television; D014956:Writing