Myopia, a common cause of visual impairment, together with the global decline in physical fitness and increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, has become a prominent global health problem. The beneficial effect of increasing the time of outdoor activities on the incidence of myopia and physical well-being in children has been widely recognized. However, in countries with highly competitive education systems, such as China, parents and school administrators may be reluctant to increase their children's time for extracurricular outdoor activities for fear of affecting their academic performance. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately assess the role of after-school outdoor activities in preventing and controlling myopia, as well as in promoting the physical and mental development of adolescents. Schools and families should be encouraged to collaboratively support children’s engagement in outdoor activities to foster their healthy growth. 

Given the dual benefits of outdoor activities—improving visual health and promoting overall physical and mental well-being—it is essential to encourage schools and families to work together to support children's engagement in such activities. By doing so, it is hoped that a balanced environment can be created, one that values both academic achievement and healthy development. Policymakers, educators, and parents must recognize the long-term advantages of integrating outdoor activities into children's daily lives, as this approach can help alleviate the burden of myopia, enhance physical fitness, and support emotional and cognitive development. Ultimately, fostering a culture that views outdoor activities as an essential component of education and health will be key to ensuring the well-rounded development of future generations.

Myopia, a common cause of visual impairment, together with the global decline in physical fitness and increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, has become a prominent global health problem. The beneficial effect of increasing the time of outdoor activities on the incidence of myopia and physical well-being in children has been widely recognized. However, in countries with highly competitive education systems, such as China, parents and school administrators may be reluctant to increase their children's time for extracurricular outdoor activities for fear of affecting their academic performance. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately assess the role of after-school outdoor activities in preventing and controlling myopia, as well as in promoting the physical and mental development of adolescents. Schools and families should be encouraged to collaboratively support children’s engagement in outdoor activities to foster their healthy growth.

Given the dual benefits of outdoor activities—improving visual health and promoting overall physical and mental well-being—it is essential to encourage schools and families to work together to support children's engagement in such activities. By doing so, it is hoped that a balanced environment can be created, one that values both academic achievement and healthy development. Policymakers, educators, and parents must recognize the long-term advantages of integrating outdoor activities into children's daily lives, as this approach can help alleviate the burden of myopia, enhance physical fitness, and support emotional and cognitive development. Ultimately, fostering a culture that views outdoor activities as an essential component of education and health will be key to ensuring the well-rounded development of future generations.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, causes, and influencing factors of vision impairment in the elderly population aged 60 years and above in Mangxin Town, Kashgar region, Xinjiang, China. Located in a region characterized by intense ultraviolet radiation and arid climatic conditions, Mangxin Town presents unique environmental challenges that may exacerbate ocular health issues. Despite the global emphasis on addressing vision impairment among aging populations, there remains a paucity of updated and region-specific data in Xinjiang, necessitating this comprehensive assessment to inform targeted interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2024, involving 1,311 elderly participants (76.76% participation rate) out of a total eligible population of 1,708 individuals aged ≥60 years. Participants underwent detailed ocular examinations, including assessments of uncorrected visual acuity (UVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using standard logarithmic charts, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT, Topcon DRI OCT Triton), fundus photography, and intraocular pressure measurement (Canon TX-20 Tonometer). A multidisciplinary team of 10 ophthalmologists and 2 local village doctors, trained rigorously in standardized protocols, ensured consistent data collection. Demographic, lifestyle, and medical history data were collected via questionnaires. Statistical analyses, performed using Stata 16, included multivariate logistic regression to identify risk factors, with significance defined as P < 0.05. Results: The overall prevalence of vision impairment was 13.21% (95% CI: 11.37–15.04), with low vision at 11.76% (95% CI: 10.01–13.50) and blindness at 1.45% (95% CI: 0.80–2.10). Cataract emerged as the leading cause, responsible for 68.20% of cases, followed by glaucoma (5.80%), optic atrophy (5.20%), and age-related macular degeneration (2.90%). Vision impairment prevalence escalated significantly with age: 7.74% in the 60–69 age group, 17.79% in 70–79, and 33.72% in those ≥80. Males exhibited higher prevalence than females (15.84% vs. 10.45%, P = 0.004). Multivariate analysis revealed age ≥80 years (OR = 6.43, 95% CI: 3.79–10.90), male sex (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34–0.83), and daily exercise (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20–0.95) as significant factors. History of eye disease showed a non-significant trend toward increased risk (OR = 1.49, P = 0.107). Education level, income, and smoking status showed no significant associations. Conclusion: This study underscores cataract as the predominant cause of vision impairment in Mangxin Town’s elderly population, with age and sex as critical determinants. The findings align with global patterns but highlight region-specific challenges, such as environmental factors contributing to cataract prevalence. Public health strategies should prioritize improving access to cataract surgery, enhancing grassroots ophthalmic infrastructure, and integrating portable screening technologies for early detection of fundus diseases. Additionally, promoting health education on UV protection and lifestyle modifications, such as regular exercise, may mitigate risks. Future research should expand to broader regions in Xinjiang, employ advanced diagnostic tools for complex conditions like glaucoma, and explore longitudinal trends to refine intervention strategies. These efforts are vital to reducing preventable blindness and improving quality of life for aging populations in underserved areas.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, causes, and influencing factors of vision impairment in the elderly population aged 60 years and above in Mangxin Town, Kashgar region, Xinjiang, China. Located in a region characterized by intense ultraviolet radiation and arid climatic conditions, Mangxin Town presents unique environmental challenges that may exacerbate ocular health issues. Despite the global emphasis on addressing vision impairment among aging populations, there remains a paucity of updated and region-specific data in Xinjiang, necessitating this comprehensive assessment to inform targeted interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2024, involving 1,311 elderly participants (76.76% participation rate) out of a total eligible population of 1,708 individuals aged ≥60 years. Participants underwent detailed ocular examinations, including assessments of uncorrected visual acuity (UVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using standard logarithmic charts, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT, Topcon DRI OCT Triton), fundus photography, and intraocular pressure measurement (Canon TX-20 Tonometer). A multidisciplinary team of 10 ophthalmologists and 2 local village doctors, trained rigorously in standardized protocols, ensured consistent data collection. Demographic, lifestyle, and medical history data were collected via questionnaires. Statistical analyses, performed using Stata 16, included multivariate logistic regression to identify risk factors, with significance defined as P < 0.05. Results: The overall prevalence of vision impairment was 13.21% (95% CI: 11.37–15.04), with low vision at 11.76% (95% CI: 10.01–13.50) and blindness at 1.45% (95% CI: 0.80–2.10). Cataract emerged as the leading cause, responsible for 68.20% of cases, followed by glaucoma (5.80%), optic atrophy (5.20%), and age-related macular degeneration (2.90%). Vision impairment prevalence escalated significantly with age: 7.74% in the 60–69 age group, 17.79% in 70–79, and 33.72% in those ≥80. Males exhibited higher prevalence than females (15.84% vs. 10.45%, P = 0.004). Multivariate analysis revealed age ≥80 years (OR = 6.43, 95% CI: 3.79–10.90), male sex (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34–0.83), and daily exercise (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20–0.95) as significant factors. History of eye disease showed a non-significant trend toward increased risk (OR = 1.49, P = 0.107). Education level, income, and smoking status showed no significant associations. Conclusion: This study underscores cataract as the predominant cause of vision impairment in Mangxin Town’s elderly population, with age and sex as critical determinants. The findings align with global patterns but highlight region-specific challenges, such as environmental factors contributing to cataract prevalence. Public health strategies should prioritize improving access to cataract surgery, enhancing grassroots ophthalmic infrastructure, and integrating portable screening technologies for early detection of fundus diseases. Additionally, promoting health education on UV protection and lifestyle modifications, such as regular exercise, may mitigate risks. Future research should expand to broader regions in Xinjiang, employ advanced diagnostic tools for complex conditions like glaucoma, and explore longitudinal trends to refine intervention strategies. These efforts are vital to reducing preventable blindness and improving quality of life for aging populations in underserved areas.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of orthokeratology (ortho-k) lens reordering using software-designed system, so as to determine the feasibility of ortho-k lens reordering without discontinuing lens wear. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of data of ortho-k lens wearers who had a history of short-term discontinuation of lens wear. A total of 94 individuals aged over 8 years with spherical equivalent refraction ranging from -0.50 to -6.50 diopters were included. The corneal topography data at baseline (before ortho-k) and after lens wear discontinuation (cessation of ortho-k treatment) were imported separately into the lens-design software, along with corresponding refraction data. Subsequently, corneal and lens parameters were generated and compared. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated, and Bland and Altman analyses were conducted. Results: All 94 children were involved in the retrospective analysis. Compared with baseline data, there was a high level of consistency between Rwo (without discontinuation) and Rwith (with discontinuation), with an ICC of 0.96 (P<0.001). Furthermore, the comparison of lens parameters generated by the Easyfit software between baseline and after short-term discontinuation showed a high degree of  consistency, with all of the ICC values exceeding 0.90. Similar results were obtained using the WAVE software, as both ICC values and Bland-Altman plots demonstrated a high level of consistency in lens parameters between two conditions (nearly all data points fell within the 95% LoAs ). Conclusions: It is feasible to directly reorder new ortho-k lenses using software fitting approaches. However, further investigations are ncessary to validate their practicability in a clinical setting.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of orthokeratology (ortho-k) lens reordering using software-designed system, so as to determine the feasibility of ortho-k lens reordering without discontinuing lens wear. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of data of ortho-k lens wearers who had a history of short-term discontinuation of lens wear. A total of 94 individuals aged over 8 years with spherical equivalent refraction ranging from -0.50 to -6.50 diopters were included. The corneal topography data at baseline (before ortho-k) and after lens wear discontinuation (cessation of ortho-k treatment) were imported separately into the lens-design software, along with corresponding refraction data. Subsequently, corneal and lens parameters were generated and compared. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated, and Bland and Altman analyses were conducted. Results: All 94 children were involved in the retrospective analysis. Compared with baseline data, there was a high level of consistency between Rwo (without discontinuation) and Rwith (with discontinuation), with an ICC of 0.96 (P<0.001). Furthermore, the comparison of lens parameters generated by the Easyfit software between baseline and after short-term discontinuation showed a high degree of  consistency, with all of the ICC values exceeding 0.90. Similar results were obtained using the WAVE software, as both ICC values and Bland-Altman plots demonstrated a high level of consistency in lens parameters between two conditions (nearly all data points fell within the 95% LoAs ). Conclusions: It is feasible to directly reorder new ortho-k lenses using software fitting approaches. However, further investigations are ncessary to validate their practicability in a clinical setting.