Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul 19;17(7):e0268356.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268356. eCollection 2022.

Computer vision syndrome, musculoskeletal, and stress-related problems among visual display terminal users in Nepal

Amar Das  1 , Sangam Shah  1 , Tara Ballav Adhikari  2 , Basanta Sharma Paudel  3 , Sanjit Kumar Sah  3 , Rakesh Kumar Das  3 , Chiranjiwi Prasad Shah  1 , Pragati Gautam Adhikari  4
Affiliations

Computer vision syndrome, musculoskeletal, and stress-related problems among visual display terminal users in Nepal

Amar Das et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: The use of computers and other Visual Display Terminal (VDT) screens is increasing in Nepal. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and other occupational health concerns among employees working in front of VDT screens in the Nepalese population.

Objectives: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of CVS, musculoskeletal and work-related stress among VDT screen users in the office, as well as their understanding and usage of preventive measures.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study among 319 VDT users in office settings in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal, using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the associated factors at 95% CI. P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: The prevalence of CVS was 89.4%. More than eight out of ten study participants reported at least one visual and musculoskeletal symptom. Work-related stress, which was moderate-difficult to handle, was present in 36.7% of the study population. The mean±SD computer usage per day was 7.9±1.9 hours. Tired eye (63.3%), feeling of dry eye (57.8%), headache (56.9%) were the common visual symptoms of CVS reported. Total computer use/day > = 8 hours OR 2.6, improper viewing distance OR 3.2, Not using an anti-glare screen OR 2.6, not using eye-drops, and not wearing protective goggles OR 3.1 were significantly associated with the presence of CVS. There was no statistically significant association between visual symptoms of CVS, musculoskeletal symptoms, and stress with gender.

Conclusion: CVS was substantially related to not employing preventive measures, working longer hours, and having an incorrect viewing distance. With more hours per day spent in front of a VDT screen, work-related stress and musculoskeletal complaints were also found to be important correlates. Similarly, work-related stress was found more among those who had less than five years of job.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Site of musculoskeletal discomfort in study participants.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Number of days’ study participants experiencing musculoskeletal problem.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Reduction of daily activities among study participants experiencing musculoskeletal problem.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Reduction of daily activities among study participants experiencing musculoskeletal problem.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Akinbinu TR, Mashalla YJ: Journal of Physiology and Pathophysiology Full Length Research Paper Knowledge of computer vision syndrome among computer users. 2013, 4:58–63. doi: 10.5897/JPAP - DOI
    1. Anshel J: Visual ergonomics in the workplace. AAOHN J. 2007, 55:. doi: 10.1177/216507990705501004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Torrey J: Understanding computer vision syndrome. Employ Relat Today. 2003, 30:45–51. doi: 10.1002/ERT.10073 - DOI
    1. Jomoah IM: Work-related health disorders among saudi computer users. Sci World J. 2014, 2014:. doi: 10.1155/2014/723280 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Randolph SA: Computer Vision Syndrome: 2017, 65:328. doi: 10.1177/2165079917712727 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types