The prevalence and risk factors of computer vision syndrome among medical students in Taif University, Saudi Arabia

Background: The computer has become an essential part of our lives, and daily computer use has a negative impact on our health, particularly on our vision, resulting in symptoms such as eyestrain, redness, itchy eyes, dryness, blurred vision, and eye fatigue, which are collectively known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of computer vision syndrome and its related risk factors among Saudi Arabian medical students at Taif University. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Taif, Saudi Arabia from August 2022 to December 2023. The data was collected through an online questionnaire. The study target was medical students in Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Result: The study was conducted on 201 medical students with a mean age 20.2 years old.The prevalence of CVS is 85.1% which is 171 students out of 201 predominantly in female group. Most common CVS symptoms are excessive tearing (26.9%), red eyes (17.5%), and twitching of eyelids (15.8%). Risk factors that showed association with CVS are female gender, spending more time on computer, using light bulb as a source of light. Conclusion: According to this study, computer vision syndrome is very widespread among Taif University's undergraduate medical students. The most commonly reported CVS ocular symptom was severe tearing. Female students complained more about CVS than male pupils. Medical students should be more aware of computer-related health issues.