Profile of digital eye strain in teachers of different professions
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Dear Editor, The education system showed an unexpected boost in digitalization after the outbreak of COVID-19, with the mass transition to digital teaching modes, which is still in trend.[1,2] During the process, prolonged screen time was reported among students[3] and teachers,[4] leading to the constellation of a range of eye and vision-related symptoms, termed digital eye strain (DES).[5] Although the literature recognizes the effect of online teaching on students, the attention toward teachers is limited, which is of equal importance. In view of the above facts, this study investigated the profile of DES among teachers of different professions, exploring the prevalence and pattern of digital device use and its impact on their visual health by using a validated e-questionnaire[2] with a target sample size of 94.[5] The descriptive analysis of the study participants is depicted in Table 1. The study included reading preference, work nature, and work environment adjustability across various academic departments. The associations between various factors and the occurrence of DES among academic professionals are presented in Table 2. Overall DES occurrence in this study was 21.1%. In addition, the findings depicted that the majority (69.50%) across all fields prefer printed books over e-reading. Similarly, 37.90% in all fields dedicate 4 to <6 hours to digital devices, with 44.20% of teachers taking breaks for more than 15 minutes during the reading session. Furthermore, 49.50% of teachers took a break every hour. Teachers across all fields were able to adjust their working environment: lighting (70.50%), height (56.80%), and viewing distance (86.30%).Table 1: Details of the participantsTable 2: Comparison of participants based on the presence of digital eye strain (DES)The learning and teaching methods across all the departments showed similar patterns. Despite prolonged screen time, teachers of all professions exhibited a reduced risk of DES. This suggests that teachers’ adaptive habits, such as taking frequent breaks and maintaining ergonomic setups, play a crucial role in addressing DES concerns. Financial support and sponsorship: Nil. Conflicts of interest: There are no conflicts of interest.
Source: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
Authors: Simran Rajan Shet Parkar, Sushant Kumar Shah, Priyanka Patnaik
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4403850363