I. Current Status of Children’s Vision Health in China

During the 2022 Two Sessions, vision health was elevated to a national strategic priority.

Myopia is the most common vision problem among children and adolescents. A survey of 3,200 parents of children aged 3–18 shows that myopia is the leading concern.

Although the myopia rate among Chinese children and adolescents was somewhat contained by 2020, a significant gap remains compared to the 2030 prevention targets. In 2018, China’s overall myopia rate was 53.6%, versus 25% in the U.S., 20% in Australia, and 15% in Germany, highlighting the urgency.

Countries like the US, Australia, and Germany have achieved about a 5% reduction in myopia within three years through grassroots screening, outdoor activities, and vision record systems.

China’s myopia rate remains high: primary school students' rate exceeded 46%, and high school students' rate over 80% before 2020. The 2030 target requires high school myopia rate to drop below 70%.

II. Root Causes: Lack of Outdoor Activity & Sleep Deprivation

Expert consensus recommends at least 2 hours of daily outdoor activity for primary and secondary students to significantly reduce myopia incidence.

However, the average outdoor time for Chinese children is only 54.9 minutes per day, and for adolescents aged 14–17, it drops to only 44.9 minutes — far below the standard.

Sleep duration also falls short of recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, exacerbating visual fatigue and myopia progression.

⚡ Multi-dimensional impact of myopia

Reduced learning efficiency, lack of concentration, and risk of high myopia leading to fundus lesions, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and possible inheritance to offspring.

Myopia is not a single refractive error but a threat to overall physical and mental health.

III. Parental Perception & Vision Care Behaviors

Around 50% of parents believe their children have poor eye-use habits, and academic pressure is the main source of stress.

Upon detecting possible vision problems, 70% of parents choose professional medical institutions for examination, while younger parents (post-90s and post-95s) show stronger health literacy and favor specialized eye care facilities.

🔎 Glasses Fitting Reality

More than 90% of parents of myopic children have already had glasses fitted for them. Among these, 60% chose to fit glasses immediately after the first examination.

Parents who did not fit glasses immediately often followed doctors’ advice or tried observation. Many lack clear knowledge about lens types (ordinary glasses, functional lenses, orthokeratology) and correction principles, which may lead to improper use or delayed replacement.

IV. Prevention Complexities: Multi-stakeholder Gaps & Tech Solutions

Vision health prevention requires coordination among government, schools, families, and medical institutions.

Excessive academic pressure, lack of outdoor time, insufficient professional optometric resources, and inadequate education on vision health remain major obstacles.

International models provide valuable lessons.

🌐 Global Best Practices

• United States: community-based optometric screening + “8 recommendations” (screen time, distance, habits, lighting).
• Australia: minimum 3 hours outdoor activity on school days, plus 4–6 hours on weekends.
• Germany: vision record for every child, “witch glasses” experiential learning, and Youth Eye Protection Association tracking.

🎯 China’s Strategic Direction

Building a closed-loop system: government-led, school monitoring, family engagement, and medical intervention. AI and big data platforms enable intelligent screening, digital archives, dynamic alerts, and personalized intervention plans.

Technology will boost efficiency, lower costs, and unify data standards across regions.

V. Enterprise Benchmark: Zhizhen – AI-Powered Whole-Process Vision Care

Zhizhen (founded in 2015) is a leading AI vision health technology and service company, integrating fundus image data, deep learning algorithms, and medical services.

With more than 10 million clinical fundus images, over 70 patents, NMPA & CE certifications, and collaborations with over 50 hospitals (including Peking Union and Chinese PLA General Hospital), Zhizhen delivers comprehensive vision health management.

📱 Smart Solution for Children & Adolescent Vision

Zhizhen’s solution integrates refraction screening, smart electronic vision records, fundus multidimensional monitoring, early warning systems, and personalized myopia prevention advice.

It connects government, schools, parents, and medical institutions, enabling one person, one record, real-time data upload, and dynamic monitoring. In 2021, Zhizhen screened over 70,000 students across 60 schools in Changchun within two months.

Screening results revealed that the proportion of high-risk individuals increases with age, which demands that prevention and screening be moved forward to younger ages.

Zhizhen builds lifelong vision health records, offers AI report interpretation, and follow-up services through intelligent health butlers, achieving early detection, early prevention, and refined control.

VI. Market Outlook: Vision Health “New Infrastructure” Drives Growth

Under strong policy support, the children’s vision screening and monitoring market in China is expanding rapidly. AI, big data, and smart devices enhance screening efficiency, lower costs, and support large-scale dynamic monitoring.

According to iResearch, the vision health screening and monitoring market for children and adolescents is expected to exceed RMB 10 billion by 2024, with sustained growth toward 2030.

Vision health new infrastructure will also strengthen primary eye care capacity. Smart visual acuity testers, portable refractometers and fundus cameras deployed across schools will feed into a national big-data platform to assist precise policy making and public health actions.

Collaboration across sectors builds a firewall against myopia, driving down prevalence rates.

📑 Appendix | Key Research Highlights

• Academic pressure rises sharply after entering primary school, and continues increasing throughout middle school.
• Parents rate children’s eye-use habits lowest: only<20% believe their children have good visual habits.
• Expectations for smart screening: accuracy, comprehensive analysis, cross-device access to screening history.
• High myopia complications (retinal detachment, fundus lesions) are a major parental concern.
• “Double Reduction + Double Increase” policies encourage outdoor activities, but implementation still faces challenges.

*Data sources: National Health Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, National Sleep Foundation, iResearch self-conducted survey (N=3,200 parents of children aged 3–18, March 2022). Full copyright belongs to iResearch Consulting. For educational & industry reference.