Sapporo Medical Journal

Abstract : Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a set of visual symptoms associated with computer use. CVS affects approximately 60 million people worldwide, resulting in lower productivity and impaired quality of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of CVS among medical residents at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and analyze its associated risk factors and most common symptoms. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 165 residents who use any display screen device while working or studying. A validated online questionnaire was used. The study was conducted from November 4, 2020 to January 4, 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the participants, 37.6% reported spending more than 4 h daily studying or working on digital devices and 73.3% reported not respecting the safety distance from the device screen (less than the length of the arm and forearm). The prevalence of CVS symptoms was 96.4%. Residents who had history of eye problems; spent more than 1 daily hours on the digital device; were not adhering with the safety distance; or had an extremely bright device screen had significantly higher risk of having CVS symptoms. CVS is widespread among the medical residents and is associated with unhealthy use of smart devices. It is critical to raise awareness about computer-related health issues among residents to reduce the associated ophthalmological burden.