Computer Vision Syndrome and Its Risk Factors among Undergraduate Students of a Medical College in Mangalore

Prolonged use of digital screen devices can lead to constellation of symptoms, collectively referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Medical students are particularly susceptible to CVS due to their high academic workload and the growing integration of technology in medical education. The aim of our research was to assess the prevalence of CVS among the medical students, and to study the associated factors for CVS. In this cross-sectional study, 130 undergraduate students of a medical college in Mangalore were assessed for CVS. Univariate analysis was carried out to assess the factors associated with CVS, and p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Unadjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. The prevalence of CVS in our study was 49.2% (n=64). Headache (n=42, 66.2%) was the most common symptom experienced by our participants. On univariate analysis, CVS was found to be significantly associated with total daily screen time and total day screen time. CVS was 2.1 times more prevalent among participants with a total screen time > 4 hours per day compared to those with a total screen time ≤ 4 hours per day (Unadjusted PR 2.1, 95% CI 1.13-3.89, p =0.019). Also, CVS was 1.6 times more prevalent among participants with a total day screen time > 3 hrs per day compared to participants with ≤ 3 hrs per day (Unadjusted PR 1.6, 95% CI 1.16-2.32, p=0.005). CVS is a significant problem in medical student community, and it is critical that the faculty and the students place a high priority on eye health and put effective preventative and management techniques into practice.