Long use of digital devices as a risk factor that causes myopia occurrence in schoolchildren

Abstract

Use of digital devices results in much higher health risks for children caused by greater visual and static loads, low physical activity, intensified intellectual activity, and psychological discomfort. The article focuses on results obtained in examining reasons why schoolchildren from the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 11th grade use various digital devices, how frequently they do it and for how long they use mobiles, PC, pads, or laptops. All schoolchildren use digital devices, most frequently, mobile phones and PC. Almost ¾ children in the 1st grade use a mobile phone; half of them, a PC, 1/3 use a pad; and each fifth schoolchild uses a laptop. Practically all 5th grade children use a mobile phone; two thirds, a PC; half of them, a laptop or a pad. Also practically all senior schoolchildren use a mobile phone; three quarters, a PC; one third, a laptop; pads are used much less frequently. A number of used digital devices per 1 person grows with age, from 1.8 for 1st grade children to 2.6 for 5th grade children and 2.3 for senior schoolchildren. Average duration of digital devices use per day also grows from 3 hours for 1st grade children to 8.1 hours for senior schoolchildren. Most schoolchildren tended to have diseases of the eye, namely refraction and accommodation disorders; accommodation disorders prevailed among 1st grade children, and myopia was more frequent among 5th grade children and senior schoolchildren. A number of children with myopia grows by 2.1 times during school years. Relative risk calculation revealed that if digital devices are in use for 6 hours or longer, it results in 1.8 times higher risks of myopia.