Dual trends in physical fitness and suspected myopia before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

A single-school study of children aged 6–11 years in rural Zhejiang, China

Bibliographic Data

ID22071295
AuthorsHaolu Shu (Waseda University), Qianhui Zhou (0000-0003-3720-8721, Waseda University), Taiji Matsui (Waseda University), Norikazu Hirose (0000-0001-7212-6057, Waseda University), Akira Maehashi (Waseda University), Jianhai Lei (Lishui University), Linjing Jiang (0000-0002-2623-0010, Nagoya University)
Year2026
Volume14
Publication date2026-07-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2026.1810566
OpenAlexW7167670151
LanguageEN
References cited42

Introduction Social distancing and reduced physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic may have adversely affected children's physical fitness and visual health. This study compared physical fitness indicators and the prevalence of suspected myopia among Chinese children aged 6–11 years in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (during the pandemic) using cross-sectional school screening data. Methods Data were collected in 2019 ( N = 1,183) and 2020 ( N = 1,120), and analyzes complete cases for each outcome (maximum n = 1,069 and n = 1,116, respectively). Physical fitness outcomes included body mass index (BMI), flexibility, and athletic performance. Visual acuity (unaided distance) was used to define suspected myopia as visual acuity < 5.0 (Chinese standard logarithmic chart) in either eye. Year differences were evaluated using regression models adjusted for age and sex with class-level cluster-robust standard errors. Prevalence ratios for suspected myopia were estimated using modified Poisson regression, and multiple tests were controlled using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate. Results During the pandemic period, BMI increased among children aged 6–8 years. Flexibility declined among 6-year-olds and girls aged 7 years. Rope-jumping performance improved in most age groups, except for boys aged 6 and 10 years, while no statistically significant changes were observed in 50 m sprint performance across age groups. The prevalence of suspected myopia increased significantly in 2020 compared with 2019, with age- and sex-specific differences, including higher risks among girls aged 7 and 11 years and boys aged 10 years. Discussion These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions—particularly for younger children—to mitigate the potential impacts of the pandemic on weight management, physical fitness, and visual health, considering age- and sex-specific differences

Anthropometry · Body mass index · Overweight · Percentile · Physical fitness · Poisson regression · Visual acuity · Corneal surgery and disorders · Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies · Optical measurement and interference techniques · Epidemiology

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