ArticleBMC pediatrics2025
The association between smartphone use and myopia progression in children: a prospective cohort study.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- From the Ocular Surface to Neurophysiology: An Integrative Review of Digital Eye Strain.Clinical optometry · 2026Review
- Review
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Authors and funding
1 author.
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Abstract
backgroundThe increasing myopia of children has sparked speculations on whether the use of smartphones can accelerate this rate. This study aims to identify possible predictors for myopic progression in children with smartphones over a period of two years.
methodsThis prospective cohort study recruited 523 children aged 6 to 14 years. A comprehensive eye examination was performed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months, which included spherical equivalent refractive error (with cycloplegia) and axial length. Smartphones usage patterns were traced using mobile usage monitoring app. Outdoor activities, sleep duration, and parental history of myopia were documented with structured questionnaires. Data on myopic progression associated with smartphone use are presented with multivariate regression analyses.
resultsIt demonstrated that daily usage of smartphones was positively associated with the progression of myopia (5.1 ± 1.2 vs. 3.4 ± 1.0 h, p < 0.001). Increased time of outdoor activity (1.2 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.8 h/day, p < 0.001) and longer distances of screens (25.8 ± 5.4 vs. 31.4 ± 6.2 cm, p < 0.001) were inversely related to myopic progression. Of importance is that children whose parents experienced myopia exhibited higher progression rates compared to those who did not (65.5% vs. 44.4%, p < 0.001).
conclusionThis study indicated that daily duration of smartphones use, time of outdoor activity, distance of screen, and parental myopia are predictors of childhood myopic progression.
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