Educational Environment: The Most Powerful Factor for the Onset and Development of Myopia among Students

Based on the literature on myopia epidemiology, experiments of basic science, and clinical research, we have identified a number of major characteristics of the myopia problem. It was concluded that the student population of grades 1-12 showed high incidence of myopia and the problem was becoming increasingly more serious. Etiological investigations revealed the aggressive role played by environmental factors. Mature clinical correction methods were available, but there were still a multitude of uncertainties hampering the effort to slow the progression of myopia. Student myopia has become an issue of top concern in China's effort to prevent and control myopia. In order to approach the issue by dealing with problems in the educational environment and to explore for specific measures to prevent and control the onset and development of student myopia, it is important that we gain better understanding of the multiple effects on the onset and development of student myopia caused by the growing demand for education induced by high social development and the rapid changes in the educational environment caused by technological advancement. Approaching the problem from the perspective of the features of the eye and vision in the developmental stages of students of grades 1-12, and the study workload at each stage, this paper retrospectively reviewed the historical literature from the last 90 years and the data from cohort studies done before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Identifying the education environment as the primary factor causing the onset and progression of student myopia, the paper fully recognizes the scientific rationality of and the specific role served byeducation-medicine synergy in student myopia prevention and control.