Eye discomfort and work with visual display terminals.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between eye discomfort symptoms and work with visual display terminals among routine office workers. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-seven office workers and their work stations were investigated by means of questionnaires and worksite investigations. The data were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The occurrence of eye discomfort increased as the extent of VDT work increased, as did the specific symptoms of sensitivity to light and smarting, gritting feeling, or redness. The use of spectacles during visual display terminal work, age, stomach stress reaction, distances between the eye and different visual task objects, as well as the vertical position of the terminal also influenced certain symptoms. Having (i) the terminal at about eye level during prolonged terminal work, (ii) using monofocal glasses during terminal work in situations with large distance variations to visual task objects, or (iii) being elderly with prolonged terminal work and reporting stomach stress all led to increased odds ratios for certain eye discomfort symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a visual display terminal in routine office work is associated with an increased occurrence of certain eye discomfort symptoms. This association is affected also by the presence of certain other individual and ergonomic factors.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. I. Subjective symptoms and discomfort.

Subjective symptoms and discomfort were evaluated by means of a questionnaire and compared between approximately 400 video display terminal (VDT) operators and 150 selected referents. Previous and current illnesses, educational status, and smoking and drinking habits were also studied. The results showed the VDT operators to have more eye discomfort and possibly also more musculoskeletal discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and back than the referents. The VDT group also reported more skin disorders. In addition, women reported consistently more disorders than men, regardless of whether or not they were employed in VDT work. Women in general displayed greater morbidity than men. Eye discomfort, musculoskeletal discomfort, headache, and skin disorders were found to be significantly correlated in the material. The results also indicated that total daily workhours and time spent looking at the VDT screen were related to the degree of discomfort. Even when the subjects were divided into subgroups with reference to the various enterprises, the types of work and the makes of VDT, the differences obtained in the degree of discomfort appeared to be due to variations in the length of workhours.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. II. Physical exposure factors.

This is the second report in a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). The first study showed that VDT operators reported more eye discomfort than a reference group not employed in VDT work and that women reported more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and skin disorders than men, regardless of whether they worked with a VDT or not. The present report contains the results of the occupational hygiene measurements (indoor climate, lighting and electrostatic conditions). Considerable differences were found between VDT operators and referents and also between sexes. Indications were obtained of a possible relationship between eye discomfort and luminance ratios in the working field of vision. Otherwise, no association could be established between occupational exposure factors and subjective eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, or skin disorders.