Impact of online classes on eye health of children and young adults in the setting of COVID-19 pandemic: A hospital-based survey

• Published in: Oman journal of ophthalmology Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 45 - 50
• Main Authors: Neena, R, Gayathri, M, Prakash, Nimmy, Anantharaman, Giridhar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.01.2023; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Children; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; digital eye strain; Electronic equipment and supplies; Health aspects; online classes; Online education; Original; Pandemics; Young adults; India; COVID-19; digital eye strain; online classes
• ISSN: 0974-620X; 0974-7842
• DOI: 10.4103/ojo.ojo_57_22

BACKGROUND: To analyze the impact of online classes on eye health of children and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study with a written questionnaire and comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation at a tertiary eye care center in South India, during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Of the 496 patients, most were 5-10 years old, attending online classes 1-2 h/day with majority (84.7%) having <4 h of classes. Electronic gadget use after classes was seen in 95.6% participants and 28.6% admitted to using it for more than 2 h/day. Digital eye strain (DES) was seen in 50.8% of patients of which headache or eye ache were the most common symptom (30.8%). Duration of online class was found to be the single most independent factor associated with the development of eye complaints (P = 0.001). Duration of class hours (P = 0.007) and light setting (P = 0.008) was found to be independent determinants of developing DES. CONCLUSIONS: Increased screen time, inadequate light setting, and excessive application of near vision can produce undesirable effects including the development of DES, worsening or development of new refractive errors and squint.