Vision problems and positive youth development: The mediating role of vision-related quality of life and the moderating role of self-control

•Vision problems negatively affected positive youth development(PYD) through VR-QoL.•The emotional dimension may fully mediate the relationship between vision problems and PYD.•Self-control may enhance the positive effects of the emotional dimension on PYD. Vision problems are still widespread among children and adolescents in rural areas of China. Previous studies on the effects of vision problems on adolescent development have mostly focused on the effects of vision problems from a negative and problematic perspective, but the associations of vision problems with adolescent development potential and resources and potential mediating and moderating mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we investigated thepotentialmediating effects of vision-related quality of life (VR-QoL) and the potential moderating effects of self-control in the relationship between vision problems and positive youth development (PYD). Using a two-stage sampling method, 2,837 students in grades 7–9 at five middle schools in four townships in Zhenping County, Henan Province, completed self-report questionnaires that included measurements of vision problems, PYD, VR-QoL and self-control as well as covariates such as sex. The relationships among variables were analysed with a moderated mediation model using the PROCESS macro of SPSS. The total effect and direct effect of vision problems on PYD were not significant, but PYD was predicted negatively by the emotional dimension of VR-QoL. VR-QoL may fully mediate the association between visual problems and PYD. The moderated mediation analysis results showed that self-control enhanced the positive effect of the emotional dimension on PYD. Simple slope analyses indicated that the emotional dimension positively predicted PYD at a high level of self-control, while the emotional dimension did not significantly predict PYD at a low level of self-control. The present study revealed the relationship between vision problems and PYD and related mechanisms. Vision problems affected PYD through VR-QoL, and the mediating effect was greater in adolescents with high levels of self-control.