Asthenopia Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Professional Computer UseA Systematic Review Manuel Augusto Pereira Vilela*1, Lucia Campos Pellanda2, Claudia C. Cesa3, Victor D. Castagno4 Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
1
Post Graduation Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology, Instituto de Cardiologia / Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. 2
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-Rio-Grandense, Sapucaia do Sul, RS, Brazil.
3
Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
4
mapvilela@gmail.com; 2lupellanda@gmail.com; 3claudia.c.cesa@gmail.com; 4vicastagno@hotmail.com
*1
Abstract Objective: Estimate the prevalence and risk factors of asthenopia associated with of computers in adults, with meta-analysis. Material and methods: Inclusion criteria were population-based studies from 1960 to December 2014. The search was performed in eletronic databases with no language restriction. Results: Out of 1692 potentially relevant citations, 22 met the inclusion criteria. The combined prevalence was 40.4% (95%CI 31.9 - 48.8). The most related factors were the duration of use, ametropia, age, binocularity dysfunctions. Conclusion: Asthenopia occurs at a significant rate and represents a common cause of lack of efficiency associated with work with computers. Keywords Asthenopia; Eyestrain; Eye Fatigue
Introduction Asthenopia in adults is a major work-related complaint. The increasing use of computers (desktops, tablets and laptops) and other electronic equipment (smartphones, e-book readers, video games) has multiplied the frequency of this complaint and changed its context significantly. The condition of a person experiencing asthenopia with symptoms like tired eyes, blurred or double vision as a result of the use of these electronic resources is generally referred to as “computer vision syndrome” (CVS), “video display units syndrome” (VDU), or “video display terminals syndrome” (VDT)*1-8]. Furthermore, specific visual or visual motion disturbances deriving from viewing 3D movies are being reported with increased frequency and have been named “3D vision syndrome”*9,10+. Recent estimates report that 77.4% of the U.S. population use computers routinely and that 90% of those aged 5-17 years use this technology on a daily basis, with a projection of about 2 billion users worldwide[1,2]. Despite its importance, the actual prevalence of asthenopia in VDU syndrome has not been precisely established. Methods of evaluation and selection of patients in the different studies are very heterogeneous. Prevalence rates reported vary from 7 to 85%[11,12]. An accurate estimate of prevalence would be essential to establish the real impact of asthenopia complaints in professional contexts. Thus, the objective of this study is to systematically review the literature in order to determine the prevalence of asthenopia associated with professional use of computers in adults, with meta-analysis of published observational data. Methods Study Design Systematic review of the literature about asthenopia related to video display unite usage, with statistical Metaanalysis for pooled results. International Journal of Advance in Medical Science, Vol. 3, No. 2—November 2015 2327-7238/15/02 051-10 © 2015 DEStech Publications, Inc. doi:10.12783/ams.2015.0302.03
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