Prevalence and contributing factors of computer vision syndrome among university students in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a common condition in the digital era, causing fatigue in users exceeding four hours of screen time daily. It manifests as blurred vision, itching, dryness, and eye fatigue. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors for CVS among university students.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 230 students using simple sampling. A structured questionnaire included: (1) demographic data, (2) digital device use and ergonomic habits, and (3) CVS symptom frequency and severity based on the validated CVS-Q© scale.

Results: A total of 76.1% of the participants were found to have CVS, with a higher prevalence among female students (80.2%) compared to male students (70.7%). 87.4% of the subjects (n = 201) experienced one or more symptoms of CVS. Most of them experience headaches (60.4%, n = 139), eye irritation (55.7%, n = 128), tearing (50.9%, n = 116), and discomfort in the eyes (49.6%, n = 114). Female students scored a higher mean of CVS than male students (p = .004). Risk factors were a lack of adequate rest between screen watching periods (p ≤ .001) and failure to observe the 20-20-20 rule (p = .015).

Conclusion: The study indicates that the prevalence of CVS is extremely high among the students, and, therefore, there is a need for ergonomic interventions to be implemented widely and used for prevention or alleviation of symptoms of CVS.