A QUESTIONNAIRE BASED STUDY: DIGITAL EYE STRAIN AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN A MEDICAL COLLEGE ”

Abstract

Aim: To ascertain the prevalence of digital eye strain (DES) among undergraduate medical students in a tertiary eye care centre located in eastern Bihar. Additionally, it seeks to identify the practices of undergraduate medical students with respect to the prevention and prevalence of digital eye strain

Materials & methods : After receiving ethical approval from the institutional ethics committee, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study on undergraduate medical students was conducted at Katihar Medical College over the course of one month. The completed questionnaire was collected, and data was tabulated and analyzed.

Result: Out of the 465 patients in our study, 293 had symptomatic DES. 56.99% of the affected were female. The most frequent symptom reported was headache (57.20%), which was followed by tearing and burning sensation. Of the 317 people who used their digital devices for more than four hours a day, 251 had symptomatic DES, as did 159 (70.04%) of the 227 participants who held their device at a distance of less than 33 cm. Of the 37 seldom users of spectacles, 28 showed DES symptoms. Of the 259 people who wore spectacles, 165 had antiglare devices, and only 26 of them showed DES symptoms. Every one of the seven regular contact lens wearers showed DES symptoms.

In conclusion, women are more likely to experience DES, and the risk of DES increases with the amount of time spent using digital devices. It is therefore advised to have a higher contrast and a longer viewing distance as these factors lower the risk of acquiring DES. Regular use of antiglare with habitual refractive correction is advised; however, extended contact lens wear, particularly in air-conditioned environments, should be avoided