Prevalence of Digital Eye Strain During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adolescent Schoolchildren in Chengalpattu District

Introduction Children were exposed to excessive screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic due to online classes, which led to increased use of digital devices for social connections and recreation. Children who continue to use digital devices for longer periods at younger ages are at higher risk of developing myopia and digital eye strain (DES), which remains a public health concern even after schools have reopened. Aims To determine the prevalence of DES and its associated factors among adolescent schoolchildren (11-17 years) in the Chengalpattu District. Settings and design A cross-sectional study was carried out in schools in Chengalpattu District. Materials and methods To assess the prevalence of DES and its contributing factors, a semi-structured questionnaire was used. The study included all students in schools selected using simple random sampling. Statistical analysis Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21. For categorical variables, Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test were used, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of the 546 participants was 12.77 ± 1.7 years. During the lockdown, the average time spent using digital devices was 6.7 ± 2.5 hours. Overall, 93% (n = 508) of children had screen time >5 hours during the lockdown. About 51.5% of adolescents had DES. Conclusions This study underscores the need to reduce DES among children through eye health education and by promoting periodic eye check-ups.