Impact of the Pressure-Free Yutori Education Program on Myopia in Japan

• Main Authors: Satoshi Ishiko, Hiroyuki Kagokawa, Noriko Nishikawa, Youngseok Song, Kazuhiro Sugawara, Hiroaki Nakagawa, Yuichiro Kawamura, Akitoshi Yoshida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: prevalence of myopia; degree of myopia; high-pressure education; pressure-free education; Yutori education
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/18/4229

This study aimed to investigate the influence of educational pressure on myopia. A less-intense school curriculum was introduced nationally in Japan beginning in 2012 based on a pressure-free education policy. In this retrospective observational study, a total of 1025 Japanese medical students of Asahikawa Medical University underwent measurements of the cycloplegic refractive error and axial length (AL), from 2011 to 2020. The spherical equivalent (SE) and AL were correlated significantly with the fiscal year of births (<i>p</i> = 0.004 and <i>p</i> = 0.034, respectively) only during enforcement of the system of high-pressure education. The SE and AL regression rates during the two educational approaches differed significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.004 and <i>p</i> = 0.037, respectively). The prevalence of high myopia was correlated significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) only during the system of high-pressure education. The regression of the prevalence rate of high myopia during the two education approaches differed significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.010). The progression rates of myopia and increased prevalence of high myopia were observed only during high-pressure education, suggesting that not only ophthalmologists but also educators and the government should work on together to control the progression of myopia.