Computer vision syndrome among computer office workers in a developing country: an evaluation of prevalence and risk factors

Abstract

BackgroundComputer vision syndrome (CVS) is a group of visual symptoms experienced in relation to the use of computers. Nearly 60 million people suffer from CVS globally, resulting in reduced productivity at work and reduced quality of life of the computer worker. The present study aims to describe the prevalence of CVS and its associated factors among a nationally-representative sample of Sri Lankan computer workers.MethodsTwo thousand five hundred computer office workers were invited for the study from all nine provinces of Sri Lanka between May and December 2009. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, symptoms of CVS and its associated factors. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed in all patients with ‘presence of CVS’ as the dichotomous dependent variable and age, gender, duration of occupation, daily computer usage, pre-existing eye disease, not using a visual display terminal (VDT) filter, adjusting brightness of screen, use of contact lenses, angle of gaze and ergonomic practices knowledge as the continuous/dichotomous independent variables. A similar binary logistic regression analysis was performed in all patients with ‘severity of CVS’ as the dichotomous dependent variable and other continuous/dichotomous independent variables.ResultsSample size was 2210 (response rate—88.4 %). Mean age was 30.8 ± 8.1 years and 50.8 % of the sample were males. The 1-year prevalence of CVS in the study population was 67.4 %. Female gender (OR: 1.28), duration of occupation (OR: 1.07), daily computer usage (1.10), pre-existing eye disease (OR: 4.49), not using a VDT filter (OR: 1.02), use of contact lenses (OR: 3.21) and ergonomics practices knowledge (OR: 1.24) all were associated with significantly presence of CVS. The duration of occupation (OR: 1.04) and presence of pre-existing eye disease (OR: 1.54) were significantly associated with the presence of ‘severe CVS’.ConclusionsSri Lankan computer workers had a high prevalence of CVS. Female gender, longer duration of occupation, higher daily computer usage, pre-existing eye disease, not using a VDT filter, use of contact lenses and higher ergonomics practices knowledge all were associated with significantly with the presence of CVS. The factors associated with the severity of CVS were the duration of occupation and presence of pre-existing eye disease.

A cross sectional overview of digital eye strain: a growing health concern in this digital age in central India (Madhya Pradesh)

“…Studies done by Shantakumari et al and several others also reported headache as the most common or disturbing symptom following the use of digital devices. 10,14,18,19,22 Similar to the present study results, the other common symptoms which included tired eyes, watery eyes, dry eyes and back pain were also found by Moldovan et al among Romanian computer using medical students. 23 Blurred vision was the most common symptom reported by Lakachew et al among bank workers and Dessie et al among computer users in Ethiopia.…”

“…17 Duration of digital screen time was shown be significantly associated in several studies. 9,10,13,19,21,29,30 Better ergonomic practices' knowledge and practicing the preventive measures is significantly associated with DES symptoms as shown in studies done by Ranasinghe et al, Agarwal et al and Shantakumari et al 11,14,18 Contact lens wearers are more likely to suffer DES than non-lens wearers according to Tauste et al 31 Critical fusion frequency decreased significantly after visual task according to Lin et al who studied the effects reflected glare and visual field lighting. 32…”

“…In the present study, 89.5% students stated experiencing the symptoms of DES which is similar to that reported by Logaraj et al and Reddy et al 9,10 The prevalence of DES or CVS ranged from 53-73% in several other studies on computer users. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In a study in Malaysia conducted on 795 university students aged between 18 and 25 years, 89.9% of students surveyed feeling any type of symptom of DES. 10…”

Computer Vision Syndrome: Prevalence And Predictors Among College Staff And Students

“…In present study, 66.3% subjects were suffering from aesthenopic symptoms during or after work on computer.In a comprehensive national survey on the prevalence of CVS in computer office workers from a South Asian country by Ranasinghe et al, the 1 year prevalence of CVS was 67.4 % [5]. Previous studies on CVS from Malaysia (68.1 %) and Nigeria (74.0 %) have demonstrated similar results [6,7].…”

Measuring Operator's Pain: Toward Evaluating Musculoskeletal Disorder at Work

“…In fact, this number annually grows at a rate going from 10% to 50% [1]. Every year, between 11% and 14,1% of employees do not go to work because of neck pain [1,5]. This project suggests designing a new tool for improving detection and prevention of MSD in real situation.…”