Abstract
Purpose To determine the prevalence of asthenopia and its associated factors in a sample of university students in Iran.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, participants were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Presence of at least one of the 10 symptoms—foreign body sensation, diplopia, blurred vision, eye swelling, dry eye, eye pain, difficulty in sustaining visual operations, decreased visual acuity, tearing, and photophobia—was considered as asthenopia. Ocular examinations, including uncorrected/corrected visual acuity measurement, objective/subjective refraction, cover test, amplitude of accommodation (AA), and near point of convergence (NPC) were performed.ResultsOf the 1,462 students (mean age: 22.8 3.1 years), 73% were women. The age- and gender-standardized prevalence was 70.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.3–73.5), 39.8% (95% CI: 36.4–43.1), and 19.7% (95% CI: 16.0–23.3) based on the presence of at least one, two, and three symptoms, respectively. The prevalence was significantly higher in females (P = 0.048), hyperopic students (P 0.001), and astigmatic participants (P 0.001). The mean AA and NPC were 9.7 2.6 D and 10.2 4.2 D (P = 0.008) and 7.0 2.1 cm and 7.7 3.9 cm (P 0.001) in participants with and without asthenopia, respectively. Multiple regression model revealed age (28–29 years), astigmatism, and NPC as independent associated factors (odds ratios: 3.51, 1.61, and 0.91, respectively).ConclusionThis study shows relatively high prevalence of asthenopia in university students. Demographic factors and visual system disorders are important risk factors and timely correction of conditions may lead to decreased asthenopia.
Highlights
Asthenopia is a general term used to define a group of somatic or perceptive symptoms that usually occur following computer work, reading, or other near visual activities.[1]
Considering the importance of ocular health in the educational success and the interference of asthenopia with visual activities resulting in learning disorders and decreased quality of life, and because no study has already evaluated the prevalence of asthenopia in Iranian university students, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of asthenopia and its associated risk factors in a sample of Iranian university students
The present study is the first of its kind to demonstrate the prevalence of asthenopia and its associated risk factors in students above 18 years of age in Kazerun, south of Iran
Summary
Asthenopia is a general term used to define a group of somatic or perceptive symptoms that usually occur following computer work, reading, or other near visual activities.[1]. There are reports of a prevalence of 12.4–32.2% in children below 18 years[4] to 57% in students below 30 years.[5] Despite contradictory reports on the causes of asthenopia, epidemiological studies have identified three major groups of risk factors: visual disorders, such as refractive errors and accommodative dysfunctions;[6, 7] psychological factors such as daily stress and poor mental state;[8] and environmental factors such as low ambient lighting, nonstandard monitor brightness;[9] and long study periods. Considering the importance of ocular health in the educational success and the interference of asthenopia with visual activities resulting in learning disorders and decreased quality of life, and because no study has already evaluated the prevalence of asthenopia in Iranian university students, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of asthenopia and its associated risk factors in a sample of Iranian university students
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