Computer visual syndrome in graduate students of a private university in Lima, Perú.

Background: In recent decades, several studies have found a strong association between prolonged use of video display terminals and ophthalmological symptoms encompassed in the so-called computer visual syndrome (CVS). Few studies have addressed this syndrome in graduate students.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 106 postgraduate students were surveyed without ophthalmological pathologies. The diagnosis of CVS was made by means of the questionnaire of Seguí et al. validated in Spanish, which evaluates the frequency and intensity of 16 ocular symptoms.

Results: The prevalence of CVS among graduate university students was 62.3% (95% CI: 52.3-71.5). It was found that the highest proportion of students with the syndrome was in the group of older than 40 years old (88.2%) and in the group 21-30 years old (70.0%), showing statistically significant differences (p = 0.004). According to the device and its time of use, students who used the mobile phone for 7-10 h a day showed a higher prevalence of CVS compared to those who used the device for less time (p = 0.030). The business School had the highest prevalence (75.0%).

Conclusion: Three out of every five graduate students presented CVS with this prevalence being like reported in other populations. There is a need to investigate possible interventions that can help reduce this entity.