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.