Japanese Parents Equally Concerned About Child’s Eyesight and Academic Success

Health Education Family Oct 25, 2022

Japanese parents want their children to do well academically, but are also concerned about the effects on their eyesight from hitting the books and prolonged screen time.

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A survey by Rohto Pharmaceutical of parents of elementary and junior high school students found that more than a third of children wore glasses or contact lenses. Rohto polled 2,229 parents, of which 847 answered that their child used some form of eyewear to correct their vision. By grades, 16.9% were in the first to third year of elementary school, 38.5% were in the fourth to sixth year of elementary school, and 56.9% were in junior high.

When asked what concerns they had regarding their child, 61.2% of parents said eyesight, followed close behind by academic ability at 63.0%. Among those concerned about eyesight, 84% said that their child were using some type of corrective eyewear, indicating parents’ concerns over their offspring’s vision worsening.

Among measures that parents are taking to prevent their child’s eyesight from deteriorating, the most common response was “taking care over the brightness of the room” at 45.2%, followed by “limiting the amount of time for near-vision tasks” at 37.5%. However, 28.3% of parents with children in junior high and 18.9% of parents overall, or around one in five, said they were not taking any precautions.

children eyesight