Over 70% of 12- to 14-year-olds in China are near-sighted. They must get out more

中國12至14歲青少年近視率超過70%。他們需要更多的戶外時(shí)間

經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人雙語版-近視者的希望 Hope for myopes

THE PHONE on Wang Xiaoying’s desk rings incessantly on a weekday morning. An optometrist in Shanghai, Ms Wang doubles as a part-time operator for China’s first publicly funded call centre providing information about myopia. It began operating on January 7th. Most callers are parents who worry about the deteriorating eyesight of their young offspring. “Make sure your child spends two hours outdoors each day!” Ms Wang often urges them. Another tip she offers is to avoid reading when supine. Trying to focus on an object held up by an unsteady arm is likely to strain the eyes, some experts believe.

在一個工作日的早晨例隆，王小英（音譯）桌上的電話響個不停最住。她是上海的一名驗(yàn)光師掸茅，在中國首個政府資助的近視防控?zé)峋€服務(wù)做兼職接線員。這條熱線于1月7日開通料扰。來電咨詢的多數(shù)是擔(dān)心孩子視力下降的父母誓焦。“確保孩子每天有兩小時(shí)戶外活動悍抑！”王小英經(jīng)常這樣敦促他們。她給的另一個建議是不要仰臥看書杜耙。一些專家認(rèn)為，當(dāng)手舉著東西不穩(wěn)時(shí)拂盯，努力看清楚上面的內(nèi)容很可能導(dǎo)致眼睛疲勞佑女。

The government reckons that more than 450m people in China, or at least one in three, are short-sighted (meaning that distant objects appear blurry). Globally just over one in five are. The prevalence of myopia among Chinese schoolchildren is even more alarming. In 2018 an official survey of 1m pupils found that among those aged between 12 and 14, 72% had myopia, up from 58% in 2010. Early onset of myopia is associated with a higher risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, which can lead to blindness.

中國政府估計(jì)全國有超過4.5億人即至少三分之一的人口近視（看不清遠(yuǎn)處的物體）。而全球的近視比例是五分之一略多谈竿。中國小學(xué)生的近視高發(fā)更加令人擔(dān)憂团驱。2018年，一項(xiàng)針對100萬名學(xué)生的官方調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)空凸，在12歲至14歲的學(xué)生中嚎花，近視的比例從2010年的58％上升到了72％。近視早發(fā)的人更容易患眼部疾病呀洲，例如可能導(dǎo)致失明的青光眼紊选。

The affliction’s spread in China is partly related to genes. Myopia is more common among East Asians than among white people. A study in 2016 found that just 19% of white 17-year-olds in Britain were short-sighted. But lifestyle plays a big role. A report by the World Health Organisation says the genetic contribution is “considered small”. To the extent that genes are involved, they “may determine susceptibility to environmental factors”. These are often a lack of outdoor activity and excessive “near work”, ie, too much time staring at close objects. The combination of an exam-crazed culture with the rapid spread of smartphones and computer-game technology explains much of China’s problem.

近視在中國蔓延與基因有一定關(guān)系啼止。相比白人，東亞人近視更普遍兵罢。2016年的一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)献烦，英國17歲白人中僅有19%近視。但生活方式有很大影響卖词。世衛(wèi)組織的一份報(bào)告稱巩那，遺傳因素“被認(rèn)為影響不大”〈蓑冢基因所能影響的只是它們“或許可以決定人對環(huán)境因素的敏感性”即横。這些因素通常是缺乏戶外活動，以及過多的“近距離工作”裆赵，即長時(shí)間近距離視物东囚。瘋狂的考試文化，加上智能手機(jī)和電腦游戲技術(shù)的迅速普及顾瞪，是中國近視高發(fā)的主要原因舔庶。

A paper in 2008 by a group of Australian researchers supports this idea. The study tracked hundreds of ethnic Chinese children in Sydney and Singapore. Whereas only 3% of the children in Sydney had become myopic by the age of seven, 29% had in homework-obsessed Singapore.

澳大利亞一組研究人員在2008年發(fā)表的一篇論文支持了這種觀點(diǎn)。該研究跟蹤了悉尼和新加坡的數(shù)百名華裔兒童陈醒。到這些孩子七歲時(shí)惕橙，在悉尼生活的僅有3％近視，而在作業(yè)量大的新加坡钉跷，近視率高達(dá)29%弥鹦。

Officials fret about rising myopia not only because they care about people’s health.Legal Daily, a government-owned newspaper, recently suggested that China’s security could be compromised by its shortage of military recruits with normal eyesight. Last year China’s navy relaxed requirements for new pilots, no longer insisting on 20/20 vision.

官員們擔(dān)心近視率升高不僅是出于他們對人們健康的關(guān)心。官方報(bào)紙《法制日報(bào)》最近指出爷辙，視力達(dá)標(biāo)的新兵人數(shù)不足可能會影響中國的國家安全彬坏。去年，中國海軍放寬了招飛的視力要求膝晾，不再要求雙眼1.0栓始。

In 2018 it pledged to ensure that, by the end of this decade, less than 60% of 12- to 14-year-olds would be short-sighted. It also said the proportion of 15- to 17-year-olds with myopia should fall below 70% by then, down from 80% two years ago. Since 2018 periodic eye exams have been made compulsory at schools. Qiu Yu, a headmaster in Beijing, says his 1,800 pupils take eye tests twice a year. Headmasters whose pupils show a worsening trend in eyesight are summoned for “talks” by education officials, Mr Qiu explains—ie, a dressing down.

2018年，它承諾確保到2030年血当，12至14歲青少年的近視率降至60%以下幻赚；它還表示屆時(shí)15至17歲青少年的近視率應(yīng)從兩年前的80％降至70％以下。2018年以來臊旭，學(xué)校已強(qiáng)制定期檢查視力落恼。北京的一名校長邱瑜（音譯）說，他的1800名學(xué)生每年接受兩次視力檢查离熏。邱校長解釋說佳谦，學(xué)生視力狀況下降的學(xué)校校長會被教育局官員“約談”，也就是挨訓(xùn)滋戳。

The party’s remedies include evidence-based as well as unorthodox prescriptions. Schools must ensure that students have at least an hour a day of outdoor activity (many experts believe sunlight helps prevent myopia or slow down its progression). Pupils in the first two years of primary school—a time of life when eyes are highly sensitive to strain—must not be given written homework. Those in the final year of primary school should receive at most one hour of it daily. Video-game makers must release fewer new products and devise ways of limiting the time children spend playing them. Schools and families must encourage children to avoid sweets and eat more fish. Experts agree that fish, which has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, is good for eye health. Many doctors also recommend avoiding sugary foods, though why this helps is unclear.

黨的補(bǔ)救措施既有基于證據(jù)的钻蔑，也有非正統(tǒng)的啥刻。學(xué)校必須確保學(xué)生每天至少一小時(shí)的戶外活動（許多專家認(rèn)為日光有助于預(yù)防或減緩近視）。在小學(xué)一二年級這個人生階段矢棚，孩子的眼睛對疲勞高度敏感郑什，學(xué)校不應(yīng)布置書面作業(yè)。小學(xué)六年級學(xué)生每天的作業(yè)量不應(yīng)超過一小時(shí)蒲肋。電子游戲制造商必須減少新產(chǎn)品的發(fā)布蘑拯，并設(shè)計(jì)出方法限制兒童玩游戲的時(shí)長。學(xué)校和家庭要鼓勵兒童少吃甜食兜粘，多吃魚申窘。專家一致認(rèn)為，魚富含omega-3脂肪酸孔轴，對眼睛健康有益剃法。許多醫(yī)生也建議少吃含糖食品，盡管目前尚不確定糖分如何影響視力路鹰。

More controversially, schools must ensure that pupils do “eye exercises” twice a day. These involve massaging the region around the eyes using the knuckles, with the thumbs placed on the temple (see picture). Mr Qiu, the headmaster, says that each set of exercises takes five minutes. The practice has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. As with many remedies of such provenance, there is no sound evidence that it works.

更有爭議的一個要求是學(xué)校必須保證學(xué)生每天做兩次“眼保健操”贷洲。其中一節(jié)是用拇指按住太陽穴，用指關(guān)節(jié)按摩眼眶（見圖）晋柱。邱校長說优构，做一套眼保健操大概需要五分鐘。這種方法源于中醫(yī)雁竞。和源于中醫(yī)的許多療法一樣钦椭，沒有確鑿的證據(jù)能證明眼保健操的作用。

The government could be doing more. Academics believe the proportion of pre-teens in China’s countryside who suffer from myopia may be five percentage points lower than in urban areas. That may be because they spend more time outdoors. But only one in seven rural schoolchildren who need glasses wear them, says a recent report by James Chen of Clearly, an international charity. A pair of cheap spectacles costs less than 50 yuan ($7). Yet many rural Chinese think that wearing glasses aggravates myopia. In fact, squinting without glasses puts more strain on the eyes, and may cause sight to worsen. Officials should try harder to discredit mistaken beliefs.

政府還可以做更多的努力碑诉。學(xué)術(shù)界人士認(rèn)為彪腔，中國農(nóng)村13歲以下兒童的近視率可能比城市低五個百分點(diǎn)。這可能是因?yàn)樗麄兊膽敉饣顒訒r(shí)間更多进栽。但是德挣，根據(jù)國際慈善機(jī)構(gòu)Clearly的陳禹嘉最近的一份報(bào)告，需要戴眼鏡的農(nóng)村學(xué)童中只有七分之一在戴快毛。一副便宜的眼鏡不到50元盲厌，但許多中國農(nóng)村人認(rèn)為戴眼鏡會加重近視。實(shí)際上祸泪，不戴眼鏡瞇著眼看東西會加劇眼部疲勞，可能導(dǎo)致視力進(jìn)一步下降建芙。政府官員應(yīng)該加大力度破除錯誤觀念没隘。

Yang Lili, a mother of a bespectacled 12-year-old in Beijing, is grateful that officials are belatedly paying attention to “the poison” of myopia. But they are “only scratching the surface, not solving the real problem”, she says. Ms Yang blames the entire culture of education.?

北京的楊麗麗（音譯）12歲的孩子也戴著眼鏡。她對于官員們終于開始關(guān)注近視這顆“毒瘤”表示欣慰禁荸。但她說他們“只是在隔靴搔癢右蒲，沒有解決實(shí)質(zhì)問題”阀湿。楊麗麗認(rèn)為問題出在整個教育文化。

The fact remains that admission to the best universities involves intense cramming for a single exam. Schools may reduce homework. But parents “will continue to find private tutors and anything that gives their child an edge”. Another plan may be needed. ■

現(xiàn)實(shí)情況仍然是孩子們?nèi)粝胍既腠敿獯髮W(xué)就要為高考進(jìn)行高強(qiáng)度的填鴨式學(xué)習(xí)瑰妄。學(xué)邢葑欤可能會減少家庭作業(yè)，但父母“仍會繼續(xù)安排課后補(bǔ)習(xí)间坐，以及任何能給孩子帶來升學(xué)優(yōu)勢的活動”灾挨。逆轉(zhuǎn)近視問題可能需要重新全盤考慮。

原文 https://www.economist.com/china/2020/01/18/most-12-to-14-year-olds-in-china-are-short-sighted

轉(zhuǎn)載?https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/103588565

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