Children in the Kelvin Grove area will participate in a significant new optometry study launched by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which seeks to understand and combat the global rise in childhood Myopia, a condition predicted to affect half the world’s population by 2050.
The research project is set to begin recruitment later in 2025 and will run until June 2027. It is based at the QUT Centre for Vision and Eye Research, located at the Kelvin Grove campus in Brisbane.
A Growing Concern for Children’s Eyesight
Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness, is an eye condition that requires glasses or contact lenses for clear distance vision. It typically develops during childhood as the eye grows longer too quickly. This extended eye shape not only causes vision problems but also increases the risk of serious eye diseases later in life, such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. This makes it a major public health challenge worldwide.
Dr. Rohan Hughes, a QUT optometry researcher leading the study, noted that rates of myopia have been steadily increasing globally over the past two decades. He highlighted that about 20 per cent of Australian children are already short-sighted by the age of 12.
While this statistic is concerning, it is still better than in some East Asian countries like Singapore, China, and Hong Kong, where myopia affects around 50 to 60 per cent of 12-year-olds. Australian children are thought to develop myopia more slowly due to more time spent outdoors, less urbanisation, and a less demanding educational culture.
Inside the Groundbreaking Study
This new QUT optometry study aims to explore how lifestyle and environmental factors affect children’s eyesight and the development of myopia. The project has received a substantial boost, funded through a $250,000 Meta Myopia Award from the American Academy of Optometry Foundation.
Dr Hughes and his team, which includes Dr. Emily Pieterse, Professor Steve Vincent, and Professor Scott Read from the QUT Centre for Vision and Eye Research and School of Clinical Sciences, will follow more than 100 children aged six to 12 for one year. They will track changes in eye growth and vision, along with behaviours such as screen time, reading habits, outdoor play, diet, and sleep. Participants will be recruited with assistance from local schools and optometrists. The study will employ sensor equipment and questionnaires to monitor children’s activities and use regular eye scans to measure eye growth.
Dr Hughes stated that the project will specifically concentrate on “pre-myopic” children, who have been identified as particularly vulnerable to developing short-sightedness due to their current vision, age, or hereditary risk factors. He explained that researchers already believe modern lifestyle factors are significant contributors to myopia, describing the cause as “multifactorial,” involving a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle elements that are not yet fully understood.
Many children and adults now spend less time outdoors and more time indoors doing close-up work, often for long periods, in poor lighting, and without sufficient eye breaks. This study aims to comprehensively quantify these characteristics and explore their link to eye growth and vision changes in children at risk. The hope is that the project will offer insights that contribute to strategies for delaying or preventing myopia in children.
Expert Advice for Healthy Eyes
The QUT Centre for Vision and Eye Research offers practical advice for parents in the community to help protect their children’s eyesight:
- Children should have an eye test before starting Prep, or earlier if there are any concerns about their vision. Optometrists are able to see children of any age.
- Regular eye tests are important, ideally at least every two years, especially for children whose parents have myopia or other eye conditions.
- Encourage children to spend two or more hours outdoors each day (aiming for 14 hours per week), remembering to stay sun-safe with sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen.
- Advise children to hold books, video games, and screens at least 30cm or more away from their eyes.
- Encourage regular breaks from sustained near-work activities like reading, homework, and screen time, ideally after no longer than 30 minutes.
QUT’s Commitment to Vision Research
The QUT Centre for Vision and Eye Research is dedicated to shaping the future of vision through its ongoing research efforts and working to address vision problems affecting Australians every day.
The Centre is globally recognised for its research and its strong national and international collaborations. In the most recent (2018) Australian Research Council (ARC) Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) evaluation, the Centre’s research was rated “Above World Standard,” achieving high impact and engagement with end-users.
Published Date 19-Jun-2025
