Relationship between low-frequency electromagnetic field and computer vision syndrome

2023 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 540

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2023

Study typecross_sectional

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Relationship between low-frequency electromagnetic field and computer vision syndrome Kösek O, Mete B, Öcal I, Yar K, Demirhindi H, Tokuş M. Relationship between low-frequency electromagnetic field and computer vision syndrome. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2023 Mar;27(5):1801-1807. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202303_31541. Abstract Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of computer vision syndrome (CVS) among secretaries working in different departments of a university hospital in Turkey and its relationship with low-frequency electromagnetic field (LF-EMF) exposure. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study included 143 secretaries working in different departments of the hospital. Besides eye examinations, CVS Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q) Scale and Ocular Surface Disease Index Scale (OSDI) were applied to the participants. LF-EMF of the work environment were measured with a 6010 Gauss/Teslameter device and the light intensity with an LX-1102 Device. Results: The mean age of participants was 39.6 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 25.2% to 74.8%. CVS-Q scale revealed 83.9% of computer vision syndrome among participants. A weak positive correlation was found between CVS-Q and LF-EMF, while a moderately strong, negative correlation was found between LF-EMF and Schirmer test of both eyes. The work environment LF-EMF values were significantly higher among the participants diagnosed with CVS (p<0.05). The risk of CVS was found to increase 3.27 times when the ambient LF-EMF was >1,725 µT and an increase of 0.004 units in the CVS-Q score was calculated for each one-unit increase in the LF-EMF of the environment. Conclusions: A relationship between CVS, dry eye and EMF was observed among people exposed to LF-EMF. Regular measurement of EMF in work environments, and developing protective behaviours (work-break intervals, 20-20-20 rule, etc.) can be recommended. Open access paper: europeanreview.org

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecross_sectional

Effect directionharm

PopulationSecretaries working in different departments of a university hospital in Turkey

Sample size143

ExposureELF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Among 143 hospital secretaries, CVS prevalence by CVS-Q was 83.9%. CVS-Q showed a weak positive correlation with measured workplace LF-EMF, and LF-EMF showed a moderately strong negative correlation with Schirmer test results in both eyes. Workplace LF-EMF values were significantly higher in participants diagnosed with CVS (p<0.05), and CVS risk was reported as 3.27 times higher when ambient LF-EMF was >1,725 µT; CVS-Q score increased by 0.004 units per one-unit increase in LF-EMF.

Outcomes measured

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) prevalence
CVS-Q score
Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)
Schirmer test (dry eye)
Eye examination findings (unspecified)

Limitations

Cross-sectional design (cannot establish causality)
Single occupational group and single hospital setting (generalizability unclear)
Specific LF-EMF frequency characteristics not reported
Potential confounding factors not described in abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cross_sectional",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "occupational",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Secretaries working in different departments of a university hospital in Turkey",
  "sample_size": 143,
  "outcomes": [
    "Computer vision syndrome (CVS) prevalence",
    "CVS-Q score",
    "Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)",
    "Schirmer test (dry eye)",
    "Eye examination findings (unspecified)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Among 143 hospital secretaries, CVS prevalence by CVS-Q was 83.9%. CVS-Q showed a weak positive correlation with measured workplace LF-EMF, and LF-EMF showed a moderately strong negative correlation with Schirmer test results in both eyes. Workplace LF-EMF values were significantly higher in participants diagnosed with CVS (p<0.05), and CVS risk was reported as 3.27 times higher when ambient LF-EMF was >1,725 µT; CVS-Q score increased by 0.004 units per one-unit increase in LF-EMF.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Cross-sectional design (cannot establish causality)",
    "Single occupational group and single hospital setting (generalizability unclear)",
    "Specific LF-EMF frequency characteristics not reported",
    "Potential confounding factors not described in abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "low-frequency electromagnetic field",
    "LF-EMF",
    "ELF",
    "computer vision syndrome",
    "CVS-Q",
    "OSDI",
    "Schirmer test",
    "dry eye",
    "occupational exposure",
    "hospital secretaries",
    "workplace measurement",
    "Turkey"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.86,
      "reason": "Study measures workplace LF-EMF exposure among hospital secretaries and relates it to health outcomes."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202303_31541
PubMed: Not supplied

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