Affiliations: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska
Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden | Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of
Occupational and Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational
Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden | Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of
Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden | School of Health Sciences, Jönköping
University, Jönköping, Sweden
Note: [] Correspondind author: A. Toomingas, Karolinska institutet,
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Norrbacka, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
Tel.: +46 8 524 800 26; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Symptoms from the eyes are common among computer users.
Knowledge is scarce about these problems, however. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study risk-factors, incidence and
persistence of eye-symptoms among professionally active computer users. METHODS: This was a questionnaire based prospective study where 1283
males and females from different professions and companies answered a baseline
questionnaire about individual factors and working conditions, e.g. duration of
daily computer work, comfort of screen work, psychosocial factors. Subjects
were at baseline and 10 follow-ups asked about the number of days with
eye-symptoms during the preceding month. RESULTS: The incidence-rate of symptoms persisting minimum three
days was 0.38/person-year. A multivariate Hazard-ratio model showed significant
associations with extended continuous computer work, tasks with high demands on
eye-hand coordination, low level of control, visual discomfort, female sex and
nicotine use. Eye-symptoms at baseline was a strong risk factor for new
symptoms. CONCLUSION: The incidence of eye-symptoms among professional
computer users is high and related to both individual and work-related factors.
The organization of computer work should secure frequent breaks from near-work
at the computer screen. The severity of vision-related problems could in field
studies be quantified by asking for the persistence of symptoms.
