Changes in the visual display terminal syndrome of college students in online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the experience rate and level of symptoms of visual display terminal syndrome in college students attending online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were collected from February 22 to June 8, 2021 at three measurement points. A total of 117 college students were administered a visual display terminal syndrome survey just before online classes (T1), one month after the start of online classes (T2), and three months after the start of online classes (T3). The collected data were analyzed by frequency and percentage, paired t-test, McNemar test, and repeated measures analysis of variance using the IBM SPSS 25.0 program. Results: The intensity of college students’ visual display terminal syndrome during online classes increased at T2 and T3 compared to T1. The rate of experiencing back discomfort or pain increased abruptly at T2 compared to T1. The intensity of college students’ eye related symptoms and skin related symptoms increased at T2 and T3 compared to T1, while the intensity of college students’ psychological symptoms, general body discomfort, and musculoskeletal symptoms increased at T3 compared to T1. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that self-care programs are needed to prevent visual display terminal syndrome in college students who are in long-term online classes.