A recent study published by The BMJ claims that spending more years in full time education is associated with a greater risk of developing short-sightedness (myopia). The report could have important implications for educational practices.

The study, using data gathered from 67,798 men and women aged 40 to 69 years from the UK Biobank database, suggested that every additional year of education was associated with more myopia.

With worldwide myopia predicted to reach 50% by the year 2050, the researchers hope that this study will lead to change. "This study shows that exposure to more years in education contributes to the rising prevalence of myopia, and highlights a need for further research and discussion about how educational practices might be improved to achieve better outcomes without adversely affecting vision," they conclude.

Sources:

1. Medical Xpress:
   Education linked to higher risk of short-sightedness.

2. BMJ:
   Intense schooling linked to myopia.