The number of people suffering from short-sightedness is increasing across Europe, with a study finding the problem to be nearly twice as common in those aged between 25 and 29 as from 55 to 59.
Research carried out by King’s College London found the condition, known as myopia, was also found to be twice as prevalent in those achieving a higher education compared with participants who left school before the age of 16.
Experts said this may reflect a number of factors, such as people who have spent more time studying being in outdoor light less, an increase in the use of computers, a longer educational day with more after-school tuition, and being involved in less outdoor play.
Shared genetic factors underlying myopia and intelligence, or factors related to educational opportunity such as socio-economic status or maternal nutrition, were also offered as potential reasons.
Myopia is already the most common eye condition worldwide but experts said the prevalence is “significantly increasing”, especially in south east Asia, although less so in Europe, Australia and the US.
Myopia generally develops during childhood and adolescence
They analysed data relating to more than 60,000 people from studies carried out between 1990 and 2013 and found that compared with participants born in the 1920s with only primary education, reaching higher education or being born in the 1960s doubled the chance of myopia.
Individuals born in the 1960s who completed higher education were at approximately four times the risk.
Myopia generally develops during childhood and adolescence, causing blurred vision that has to be corrected by glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery.
Severe myopia additionally carries a risk of sight-threatening conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and retinal degeneration. The study authors suggested the increase could cause a strain on health services, while it also has implications for the economy if more people of working age are becoming visually impaired.
They pointed out that far more people are continuing their education for longer than they did in the first half of the 20th century, and therefore it is not perhaps surprising that more young people are affected now.
Lead author Katie Williams said: “We knew myopia was becoming more common in certain parts of the world − almost eight in 10 young people are affected in urban east Asia − but it is very interesting to find that the same pattern is being seen here in Europe.”