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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• covid-19
• digital eye strain
• online classes