ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Many subjects, especially highly educated subjects, are increasingly exposed to computer use. This exposure might represent an explanation for the growing rates of myopia. METHODS: We assessed 17,217 Spanish university graduates from the SUN project, an open-recruitment cohort. Their mean age was 38.5 years (SD 12.1), and their mean time of exposure to computers was 14.3h/week (SD 14.6). We estimated multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (OR) for the risk of myopia development and/or progression (≥0.5 diopters) according to baseline exposure to computer and to changes in exposure. RESULTS: The age and sex-adjusted OR comparing >40 h/week of exposure versus<10h/week was 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.60). This association remained essentially unchanged after additional adjustments. Comparing participants who increased their exposure to computers, versus those with no change, the age and sex-adjusted OR was 1.49 (1.34-1.66). This result was unchanged after additional adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first large longitudinal assessment in young adults, showing that exposure to computer use is associated with myopia development or progression in a cohort of Spanish university graduates. Further studies are needed to confirm these epidemiological findings.
