A major global study linking the use of digital smart devices (smartphones and tablets) with myopia in children was released today by an international collaboration led by researchers in Singapore.

The study - a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis - also included world experts in eye health and epidemiology from Australia, the UK, and China, and was published in The Lancet Digital Health, one of the world's leading peer-reviewed medical journals.

The authors used a gold-standard approach to collect all the research ever published on the link between smart device screen exposure and myopia. After analyzing and statistically combining the available studies, they revealed the most compelling evidence to date implicating digital devices, particularly screen time, as a risk factor for myopia in children.

High levels of smart device screen time were associated with almost a 30% higher risk of myopia, and when excessive computer screen time was added, this increased to almost 80%.