Higher levels of education and spending more years in school may increase the risk for nearsightedness, or myopia, according to a recent study HealthDay News reported.

Nearsightedness is a vision condition in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred.

German researchers found that environmental factors may outweigh genetics in myopia development and suggested that students should spend time outdoors.

"Since students appear to be at a higher risk of nearsightedness, it makes sense to encourage them to spend more time outdoors as a precaution," Dr. Alireza Mirshahi, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, the researchers examined nearsightedness in more than 4,500 Germans ages 35 to 74, excluding anyone with cataracts or who had undergone refractive surgery.

Based on their findings, myopia appeared to become more prevalent as education level increased.

They found that 53 percent of university graduates were nearsighted, 35 percent of high school graduates and vocational school graduates were nearsighted, while just 24 percent of people with no high school education or other training were nearsighted.

The researchers also found that people who spent more years in school had worse nearsightedness, with the severity increasing for each year of schooling.

Researchers said that although the findings suggest a link between nearsightedness and level of education, it doesn't prove it.

The findings were recently published in the journal Ophthalmology.