From the editor
Canada is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet .
There are countless well-marked trails , breathtaking vistas , gorgeous beaches , well-maintained parks , stunning waterfalls and scenic landscapes .
If those views aren ’ t enough to entice people to get outside , a study by optometrists at the University of Waterloo has provided even more evidence that spending time in the great outdoors can be very beneficial , especially to children .
The pilot study found that reducing screen time and spending one additional hour per week outdoors significantly lowers the odds of children becoming myopic by 14 per cent .
The research , conducted by the university ’ s School of Optometry and Vision Science and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind , also found that nearsightedness in Canadian children increases approximately fivefold from Grade 1 to Grade 8 , with roughly a third of the cases going undiagnosed and uncorrected .
This issue of Optical Prism magazine is all about children ’ s eyewear and vision . It includes a feature story on a joint policy statement by the Canadian Association of Optometrists and Canadian Ophthalmological Society , which sets recommendations on how much screen time children should be exposed to in a day . Like the University of Waterloo study , the statement also advises parents to encourage their children to choose time outdoors over time in front of computers , smartphones , laptops or computer monitors .
For children who do spend time outdoors , eyewear companies have designed and manufactured a wide variety of sunglasses for kids to choose from . This issue of Optical Prism includes a pictorial to showcase just a small selection of those sunnies .
Of course , since this is our kids ’ issue , the centrepiece of this magazine are our features on the latest trends in children ’ s frames and the latest and greatest in lenses that are ideal for kids ’ developing eyes .
Denis Langlois , Editor .
6 OPTICAL PRISM | July 2018