Observational studyBMC public health2026
A natural experiment in school lighting: observational evidence linking far-red light exposure to slower myopia progression in Chinese Uyghur schoolchildren.
Observational study in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundChildhood myopia is a growing problem worldwide. In a primary school in Xinjiang, China, some classrooms had been installed with far-red/near-infrared (FR/NIR) lighting, while others kept conventional lights. This natural experiment let us test whether everyday exposure to FR/NIR light is linked to slower myopia progression in Uyghur children-a group often understudied despite high myopia rates.
methodsIn this one-year prospective observational cohort study, we invited all eligible Uyghur children in grades 2 and 3. Exposure groups were defined by pre-existing classroom lighting conditions (FR/NIR-enriched vs. Conventional-lit). Primary outcome was change in axial length (AL); secondary outcome was change in spherical equivalent refraction (SER, calculated as sphere + ½ cylinder). Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to address confounding, with sensitivity analyses (ANCOVA and IPTW-ANCOVA) conducted to assess robustness.
resultsAfter PSM, 82 participants (41 per group) were included. AL increase was significantly smaller in the FR/NIR-enriched group (0.19 ± 0.09 mm) than Conventional-lit group (0.34 ± 0.12 mm), with a mean difference of -0.15 mm (95% CI: -0.20 to -0.10; P < 0.001). SER myopic shift was also attenuated in the FR/NIR-enriched group (-0.12 ± 0.46 D vs. -0.52 ± 0.59 D), yielding a mean difference of 0.40 D (95% CI: 0.16 to 0.64; P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested age-related differences.
conclusionsOver one year, children in classrooms with FR/NIR-enriched lighting showed slower eye growth and less myopic shift. With careful statistical adjustment, these findings suggest that changing classroom lighting could be a simple, passive way to help control myopia at the population level.
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