Computer Vision Syndrome During SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak in University Students: A Comparison Between Online Courses and Classroom Lectures

Lixiang Wang, Xin Wei, Yingping Deng, Lixiang Wang, Xin Wei, Yingping Deng

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the prevalence of computer vision syndrome in university students of different teaching modes during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak period. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study using the validated Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire in Chinese medical students of Sichuan University who took classroom lectures and the same-grade foreign students from a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program who took online lectures with similar schedules. Results: A total of 137 responses from 63 Chinese students and 74 MBBS students were obtained. The highest frequency of digital screen time was 7-9 h (43.24%, 32/74) for MBBS students and 2-4 h (46.03%, 29/63) for Chinese students. The prevalence of computer vision syndrome among Chinese students and MBBS students were 50.79% and 74.32%, respectively (P = 0.004). The average numbers of reported symptoms were 5.00 ± 2.17 in Chinese students and 5.91 ± 1.90 in MBBS students (P = 0.01). The three most highly reported symptoms were "heavy eyelids" (53.97%), "dryness" (50.79%), and "feeling of a foreign body" (46.03%) in Chinese students and "dryness" (72.97%), "feeling of a foreign body" (62.16%), and "heavy eyelids" (58.11%) in MBBS students. The sum grades of computer vision syndrome had a moderate positive correlation with screen time (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.386, P < 0.001). The grades of symptoms of "feeling of a foreign body," "heavy eyelids," and "dryness" showed a weak positive correlation with screen time (Spearman's correlation coefficients were 0.220, 0.205, and 0.230, respectively). Conclusion: Online study may contribute to the prevalence of computer vision syndrome among university students.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; computer vision syndrome; lockdown policy; online courses; university students.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Copyright © 2021 Wang, Wei and Deng.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Digital screen time and the use of digital terminals among responders. (A) Comparison of average digital screen time per day between Chinese and MBBS students; (B) comparison of the most often used digital terminals between Chinese and MBBS students.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Computer vision syndrome among responders. (A) Distribution of sum grades of computer vision syndrome of Chinese and MBBS students; (B) grades of each symptom of computer vision syndrome questionnaire in Chinese students; (C) grades of each symptom of computer vision syndrome questionnaire in MBBS students.

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