This collection of educational information and content about children's eye health is perfect
for the summer holidays when children are spending more time on digital devices.
July 31, 2023
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Masafumi Sugimoto) has long been engaged in eye health awareness activities for all generations, in addition to developing and selling products including eye drops. In particular, we believe that it is increasingly important to address eye health among children, who will be the next generation, as contact with digital devices is unavoidable due to the widespread use of smartphones and games, as well as the increasing prevalence of tablet-based learning. Now that summer vacation has begun and concerns about the amount of time children spend in contact with digital devices are rising, we would like to present a collection of Rohto's awareness information and content regarding children's eye health that we hope you will take note of.
"Rohto Eye Care Educational Materials" (for elementary school educators) to help people learn about eye health and how to use tablets wisely.
Dedicated website for "Rohto Eye Care Teaching Materials"
Since June 2021, we have been providing this material free of charge with the aim of encouraging "behavioral change" by helping children become aware of the importance of their eyes and to help them acquire "eye care skills," which are essential lifestyle habits for interacting with digital devices such as tablet learning, in a fun way. This material has been used by approximately 1,500 schools, organizations, and individuals, including in collaboration with local communities, and we have received positive feedback such as "Children have started to think about their eyes on their own" and "We want to use it every year because they can learn while having fun." Furthermore, in July 2023, we renewed the material to include animated videos produced under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, which allow children to become interested in the importance of early eye care in an enjoyable way.
Information site about childhood myopia: "Things You Should Know About Myopia" (for parents)
Information page on vision loss in children
Myopia is increasing worldwide, and in Japan, children's eyesight is also deteriorating. Recent statistics report that more than 60% of high school students, more than 50% of junior high school students, and more than 30% of elementary school students have visual acuity below 1.0 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2017 "School Health Statistics Survey"). We provide easy-to-understand information for parents about myopia, which not only causes inconvenience in daily life but can also lead to visual impairment depending on the condition.
Eyesight measurement app "AImirun®" (for parents)
AImirun page
This is a simple vision testing application (for iOS) created under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, with the aim of encouraging regular vision checks and providing an opportunity to quickly notice any changes. It can be used at home for pre-checks before visiting an ophthalmologist.
[Reference] Survey report: "More than 60% of parents are just as concerned about their child's eyesight as they are about their academic ability."
On October 10, 2022, "Eye Care Day," we conducted a survey on parents' awareness of their children's eyes. In a questionnaire conducted among parents of first-year children in grades 1 through 9, more than 60% of parents said they were as concerned about their child's eyesight as they are about their academic ability. However, about one in five parents responded that they were "doing nothing" to prevent their child's eyesight from deteriorating.
Click here for details of the research report.