Technology addiction as a predictor of visual problems in early adolescents: a multicentre case-control study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Ophthalmology
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Rising screen time in adolescents fuels concerns about technology addiction and visual health.
• Primary health care needs to identify behavioral risk factors for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the link between technology addiction and visual problems in early adolescents.
• Explore implications for primary health care and school health services.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study of 585 middle school students (grades 5-8).
• Case group: 47 students with visual impairment/corrective lenses.
• Control group: 538 students without visual problems.
• Data collected via interviews and the Technology Addiction Scale.
• Logistic regression used to identify predictors of visual problems.

Main Results:

• Students with visual problems had higher technology addiction scores (social media, messaging, gaming, browsing; p < .001).
• Longer screen time and irregular sleep correlated with higher addiction.
• Gender differences noted: girls higher in messaging/browsing, boys in gaming.
• Online gaming duration and total addiction scores predicted visual problems.

Conclusions:

• Technology addiction, particularly gaming, is a modifiable risk factor for adolescent visual problems.
• Integrating digital hygiene, screen-time monitoring, and risk assessment into primary care and school nursing is recommended for prevention.