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complications that may be sight-threatening, with the risk increasing for higher levels of myopia. While some complications can occur at any age (for example, retinal detachment), myopia predisposes the eye to develop certain other complications in later adult life (for example, myopic macular degeneration). Each additional diopter is associated with an increase in risk of +58 per cent for myopic macular degeneration, +20 per cent for open-angle glaucoma, +21 per cent for posterior subcapsular cataract and +30 per cent for retinal detachment. These statistics underscore the importance of starting myopia management early to mitigate or reduce the risk of developing serious complications. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND MYOPIA For obvious reasons, uncorrected myopia or poor vision in general may affect the academic performance of children with possible consequences for their future, including their careers. Scholastic performance was found to play a role with evidence suggesting a connection between educational achievements and health in later adult life. Uncorrected visual deficits may affect attention, perseverance, and academic performance. When corrected with spectacles, an improvement in academic performance and psychosocial well-being of students was seen. Interestingly, although spectacles are a common and widespread means of vision correction, in some situations, there can be persistent negative stereotypes associated with wearing spectacles resulting in poor compliance. UNCORRECTED MYOPIA CAN POSE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO CHILDREN AND AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS IN EVERYDAY LIFE 41 VISION PLUS INDIA EDITION