Assessment of Computer Vision Syndrome in University Students in Peshawar; A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: An ever-increasing exposure to screen has led to increased prevalence of computer vision syndrome in university students. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of screen usage amongst university students and to assess the impact of the hours of screen usage on the symptomatology of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out amongst various university campuses in Peshawar over the period of January 2017 to April 2017. Non-probability (Convenience) sampling was done by using a pre-prepared questionnaire, which was distributed amongst university students of all study years with ages ranging from 17 to 24. Subjects with known history of diabetes, anemia, hypertension, central or peripheral nerve diseases, congenital vision disorders and those using medications such as eye drops were excluded. Data was presented in the form of percentages, frequency and tables using the SPSS v22 Software. RESULTS: Amongst the 385 respondents surveyed, the three most common symptoms of CVS that were seen in them were tired eyes at 71.8%, neck/back pain at 70.1% and headache at 42.3%. Relationships were investigated between these three most common symptoms, and the amount of computer screen usage amongst the sample population. Significant (p<0.05) associations were seen amongst university students having the symptoms of CVS and using computers for long hours. A few discrepancies also existed possibly due to small sample size. CONCLUSION: Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a common phenomenon amongst university students. The symptoms of CVS show significant associations with hours of screen usage. Further studies are required in Pakistan specially to find out all the exact factors that can cause CVS-like symptoms.