Computer Vision Syndrome: An Emerging Public Health Problem Amongst Secondary School Students in South East Nigeria in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

Background: Globally, Covid-19 pandemic pushed all students indoors. This necessitated mandatory e-learning for all students. Students were compelled to spend 8-12 hours in front of digital devices. This unregulated e-learning has left students at risk of developing Computer Vision Syndrome, (CVS). CVS, a spectrum of eye and vision related problems resulting from the uninterrupted use of digital devices for as little as 2 hours per day, is an emerging public health challenge. This study aimed to assess the ocular, visual and systemic presentations of CVS amongst secondary school students and the associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, non-interventional study. The data was generated using self-administered questionnaire and was analyzed with SPSS 23.0. Frequency and percentage of quantifiable variables were analyzed. The independent variables and the dependent variables were grouped and their associations were analyzed. P-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 1695 students participated. Commonest ocular symptoms were eye rubbing 33.0% and tearing 31.0%, while the commonest visual symptom was blurry vision 49.5%. Headache was the major systemic complaint 44.1%. Prolonged use of devices for 3 or more hours and use of 3 or more devices often resulted in some visual symptoms. These were statistically significant with a p value of < 0.001. Conclusion: The study observed that duration of exposure to digital screen has linear relationship to CVS. It also noted that number of digital devices used, hours spent and continuous use of screens are strong risk factors for developing CVS. Keywords: Computer Vision Syndrome, e- learning, pandemic