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.

Children of male spray painters: weight and length at birth.

The course and outcome of the pregnancies of the wives of 80 spray painters and 80 electronics workers were recorded from birth registers, hospital records, and a questionnaire. The two groups of men had previously been subjected to psychological, psychiatric, neurophysiological, and neurological tests. The variables recorded were occupational exposure to solvents; number of births, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages; weight, length, and malformations of the newborn children; duration of the pregnancies; birth complications; and neonatal hospital treatment. The mean length and weight of the children of spray painters at birth were slightly lower than those of the children of electronics workers. No differences were recorded for serious complications of pregnancy, malformations, or clinical course after birth.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. III. Ophthalmologic factors.

The present ophthalmologic study is the third part of a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). An initial study showed that VDT operators replying to a questionnaire reported more eye discomfort than a reference group not employed in VDT work and that women reported more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal discomfort, headache, and skin disorders than men, irrespective of whether or not they were employed in VDT work. In the present study the ophthalmologic history of eye diseases and eye discomfort yielded a much lower percentage response for symptoms and discomfort than the questionnaire, and, just as with visual acuity and refraction, there was no difference between the exposed and reference groups or between the men and women. The exposed subjects were found to be overcorrected in terms of presbyopia addition in relation to work distance. As regards ocular examination findings, low frequency rates were noted for pathological lens opacities. Opacities of this kind were slightly more frequent among the VDT operators than among the referents, but the difference was not statistically significant. There were no other differences in the ocular findings of the exposed and reference groups.

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.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. IV. Refraction, accommodation, convergence and binocular vision.

The present study is the fourth of a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). The other studies showed that VDT operators replying to questionnaires have more eye discomfort than a reference group of office employees not employed in VDT work and that women have more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and skin disorders than men. Routine ophthalmologic examinations failed to establish any appreciable differences between the groups; for example, the prevalence of myopia was the same. In the present study, the VDT operators and referents were examined before and at the end of work sessions for changes in refraction, accommodation, convergence capacity, and binocular vision such as heterophoria and fusion range. No differences could be established between the VDT operators and the referents.