In May 2018 researchers from Australia and Singapore published the results of their study to assess patterns of daily light exposure in similarly aged children. It is known that the incidence of near/short sightedness is higher in Singapore than in Australia and wearable light sensors were used to assess daily light exposure in 69 Singaporean children, aged 8-12 years, and 43 Australian children, aged 10-12 years. The average daily time exposed to bright outdoor light and the number and duration of daily episodes of outdoor exposure were assessed. Results showed that the pattern of daily outdoor light exposure differed substantially between Australia and Singapore. Australian children experienced significantly longer daily outdoor light exposure than children in Singapore, with the largest differences being found on weekdays during school hours. Australian children also had a higher number of daily episodes of outdoor light exposure than Singaporean children.
Read et al. Patterns of Daily Outdoor Light Exposure in Australian and Singaporean Children. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2018 May 29;7(3):8.