Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of eye exercises machine for improvement of vision of children. Methods A total of 18 third grade classes of primary schools from Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou were selected, among them 9 were intervention group, and others were control group. Students of intervention group used eye exercises machine instead of normal eye exercises, and those of control group did eye exercises. Visual acuity optometry and questionnaire for ocular symptoms were completed at the beginnings and ends of first and second terms. Results 713 students were included. There was no significant difference of myopia prevalence between intervention and control group (38.58% VS 37.73%, χ²=0.028, P=0.866). After age, gender, dominant hand, outdoor time, lamp types and myopia prevalence of parents were adjusted, among 3 times of visual acuity optometry after intervention, students of intervention group who were diagnosed myopia once were significantly more than those of control group (OR=0.39, 95%CI=0.22~0.71, P=0.002). Before intervention, there were no significant differences of ocular symptoms between two groups (P>0.05). After two terms of intervention, prevalence of blurred vision of intervention group was lower than that of control group (29.25% VS 40.37%, χ²=10.139, P=0.001). Conclusion Eye exercises machine could improve ocular symptoms of children, and might had protective effects on those with unstable vision and probably nearsighted.

Key words: children, myopia, eye exercises machine