Article
Impact of Myopia on the Academic Performance of Children: A Narrative Review
Myopia, or nearsightedness, has become one of the most common ocular disorders of childhood, with global prevalence in children and adolescents rising from roughly 24% in 1990 to nearly 36% by 2023 and projected to affect almost 40% of this age group by 2050. Beyond its well-documented ophthalmic consequences, myopia has increasingly been examined for its bidirectional relationship with academic performance. Uncorrected refractive error can directly impair a child's ability to see the blackboard, read text, and sustain near work, while paradoxically, intensive schooling, near-work demands, and reduced outdoor time associated with high-achieving academic environments are themselves powerful risk factors for myopia onset and progression. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from epidemiological surveys, cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews to examine the prevalence and risk factors of childhood myopia; the evidence linking myopia, uncorrected refractive error, and cognitive performance to academic outcomes; the psychosocial and quality-of-life burden of myopia in children; long-term ocular complications; the economic burden of the condition; and current approaches to screening, correction, and myopia control. The evidence indicates that uncorrected refractive error consistently impairs reading speed, literacy, and standardized test performance, and that timely spectacle correction and school-based vision programmes improve academic outcomes, particularly in under-resourced settings. Conversely, the relationship between myopia itself (as opposed to uncorrected refractive error) and academic achievement appears to run in the reverse direction, with higher academic performance, more time spent on near work, and less time outdoors predicting faster myopic progression rather than the other way around. These findings carry important implications for school health policy, pediatric eye care, and public health strategy, underscoring the need for routine vision screening, timely correction, and behavioral interventions that protect both visual health and educational potential.