Smartphone Usage Behavior and Its Impact on the Eyes of Undergraduate Students at the Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Thaksin University, Phatthalung Campus
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Abstract
Background: Nowadays, smartphone usage is a necessity in daily life, especially for university students who use it to complement their studies. However, improper smartphone usage can negatively affect eye health. The objective of this study was to examine smartphone usage behavior and its impact on eye health among undergraduate students at the Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Thaksin University, Phatthalung Campus.
Methods: This study was a survey research. The sample group consisted of 274 undergraduate students. The tool used was a questionnaire divided into three parts: general information, smartphone usage behavior, and the impact of smartphone use on the eyes. The content validity index was 0.74, and the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.80. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
Results: The overall level of smartphone usage behavior is moderate (2.83±0.82). It was found that some aspects of smartphone usage behavior were at a poor level, including picking up the phone first upon waking (3.09±0.85), picking up the phone to play during spare time (3.22±0.77), carrying the phone at all times (3.32±0.78), staring at the phone screen for more than 15 minutes (3.07±0.84), and using one finger while using the phone for more than 15 minutes (3.02±0.77). The analysis of the overall impact on the eyes from smartphone use showed a moderate level (2.20±0.84), including eye irritation (2.34±0.83), eye fatigue (2.32±0.84), and blurred vision (2.28±0.83) after using the smartphone for more than 1 hour, as well as blurred vision (2.28±0.87), headaches (2.24±0.84), dry eyes (2.18±0.83), and lack of awareness of surroundings while using the smartphone (2.22±0.83).
Conclusions: The use of smartphones by students may lead to eye-related issues such as eye irritation, eye strain, and blurred vision, especially for those who use smartphones for extended periods daily. Therefore, it is crucial to implement preventive measures and control strategies to reduce the impact on eye health and promote overall eye well-being.
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