Association of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and myopia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the dose-response relationships between physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior(SB) (including near work [NW] and screen time [ST]), sleep duration (SD), and myopia risk among children and adolescents.

Design: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to November 19, 2024. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and ROBINS-I tools. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate categorical and continuous dose-response relationships. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity sources and test robustness.

Results: A total of 45 observational studies (766,848 participants aged 5-19 years) were included. Categorical analyses showed that, compared with the lowest exposure categories, higher PA levels (highest: OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63-0.96; intermediate: OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.93) and longer SD (highest: OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48-0.92; intermediate: OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.92) significantly reduced myopia risk. Conversely, higher levels of NW (highest: OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.28-2.27; intermediate: OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.19-1.50) and ST (highest: OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14-2.22; intermediate: OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12-1.49) were associated with significantly increased risk. In the continuous dose-response meta-analysis, a linear association was observed between PA, ST, and myopia. Each additional hour of PA per day reduced the risk of myopia by 12%, while each additional hour of ST increased the risk by 31%. Nonlinear associations were found between NW, SD, and myopia. Among children and adolescents, 1.5 and 2.5 h/day of NW increased the risk of myopia by 25% and 29%, respectively. Although longer SD was associated with a reduced risk of myopia, this effect did not reach statistical significance at any exposure level.Subgroup analyses revealed that protective effects of PA were more evident in low- and middle-income countries, smaller sample sizes, and cross-sectional studies, while increased risks related to ST and NW were stronger in low-income settings. No subgroup significantly modified the association between SD and myopia risk.

Conclusion: Increasing PA, while limiting ST and NW, effectively reduces the risk of myopia among children and adolescents. The association between sleep duration and myopia remains inconclusive, warranting further investigation.