Meghrigian Institute for Preventive Ophthalmology Publishes in Journal of Public Health

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YEREVAN, Armenia — The Garo Meghrigian Institute for Preventive Ophthalmology (Meghrigian Institute) at the Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR) of the Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) published a new article titled “Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS): the assessment of prevalence and associated risk factors among the students of the American University of Armenia” in the Journal of Public Health, an international, multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that focuses on all aspects of the science, philosophy, and practice of public health. The Journal ranks in the top quarter within the subject area and includes contributions from epidemiology, health economics, environmental health, management, social sciences, ethics, and law. This study is authored by Rishba Getzie Peter (MPH ’20), M.D.; Aida Giloyan (MPH ’07), M.S.; Tsovinar Harutyunyan (MPH ’99), Ph.D.; and Varduhi Petrosyan, M.S., Ph.D. 

Dr. Peter proposed a capstone to assess the prevalence of CVS and the associated risk factors among undergraduate students of AUA in her master thesis project. The Meghrigian Institute found this proposal interesting and worked with her to implement it as part of the Institute’s projects. In that regard, an online survey was conducted among 143 students aged 18 years and above in June 2021. Overall, 78.3% of the students reported experiencing CVS, with common symptoms including eye redness (74.6%), headaches (72.5%), itchy eyes (71.2%), burning sensation (70.5%), tearing eyes (66.7%), and blurred vision (63.4%). The research revealed that daily computer usage had doubled from 5.5 hours to 10.0 hours during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study identified several factors associated with CVS, including the presence of refractive errors, sitting posture, distance between the eyes and digital device screen, and voluntary blinking. The findings showed a high prevalence of CVS in the study population. Adhering to recommendations regarding proper sitting posture and maintaining an appropriate viewing distance when using computers or other digital devices could potentially decrease the prevalence of CVS in the target population.

CVS is one of the leading occupational hazards of the 21st century, affecting the majority of computer users. With the use of computers, laptops, tablets, and other digital devices becoming increasingly common among students in educational institutions, the prevalence of computer vision syndrome ranges from 50.8% to 98.7% among undergraduate students globally. 

To address the issues identified in the study, the Meghrigian Institute organized the World Sight Day (WSD) 2023 celebration with a focus on “Love Your Eyes at Work” at AUA and provided guidance on adopting preventive measures, such as adhering to the 20-20-20 rule, practicing blinking exercises, and arranging an ergonomic workspace aimed to alleviate CVS symptoms among AUA students, faculty, and staff. 

The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.