Publication:

Association between smart device use and change in myopia in the OPD of a tertiary eye hospital

Background Nowadays, children and adolescents are exposed to digital media from an early age. More and more aspects of modern life are thought to be affected by excessive screen time. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to document the effects of excessive screen time viewing on children and adolescents and change in myopia. A narrative review was performed in searchable databases.

Methods Ninety-three patients will be included in the study after the patient/ ensuring written, informed consent from their legal guardians. All will undergo ophthalmological examination and data will be collected in a data record form. SPSS version 23 will be used for data analysis.

Results The majority of participants were aged 11-15 years (34.4%), male (52.7%), and from urban areas (73.1%). Smartphones were the most commonly used device (61.3%). About 57.0% of participants reported screen time exceeding three hours per day. Mild myopia was observed in 44.1% of cases, moderate myopia in 36.6%, and severe myopia in 19.3%. A statistically significant association was found between increased daily screen time and higher severity of myopia (p<0.001).

Conclusions Prolonged smart device use is significantly associated with increased severity of myopia, highlighting the need for preventive strategies to limit excessive screen exposure, especially among children and adolescents.