Hygienic Rationale for Criteria of Assessing Health Risks Posed by E-Learning for High School, College, and University Students

Introduction: It is impossible to imagine the modern world without digital technologies currently used in all branches of industry, science, and education. Application of electronic learning tools in schools and universities has shown the need for regulating their use in order to prevent such adverse outcomes as visual and general fatigue. The Government of the Russian Federation has developed the Concept of Children’s Information Security aimed at creating the information environment that promotes positive socialization, optimal personal, cognitive, and physical development, maintenance of mental and psychological health and well-being. The rationale for optimal screen time duration, including that during distance learning, is of particular importance.

Objective: To assess risks of visual impairment and ill-being posed by the use of e-learning tools for high school, college, and university students during distance education.

Materials and methods: An anonymous survey of 190 high school students in Moscow and Omsk, college students and firstyear Omsk university students was conducted using an online questionnaire about well-being and health complaints during distance education of different duration. The study was carried out in March–April 2021, when students were learning online. Data processing was carried out by generally accepted statistical methods; the chi-square test was performed and relative risks and etiologic fractions were estimated.

Results: We collected new information on the prevalence of self-assessed visual impairment in modern high school, college, and medical university students. According to our findings, 42.9 % of high school students, 51.8 % of vocational school students, and only 37.2 % of university students had no visual impairment. We estimated screen time duration and established the related prevalence of ill-being, irritability, headaches, neck and back pain in the respondents. The health risk assessment performed showed that distance learning should be limited to five hours in order to avoid its potential adverse health effects in students. The results have limitations associated with a relatively small regional sample.

Conclusions: Our survey results are aimed at preventing visual impairment and psychological stress in students working in the digital environment during distance learning. They have been used to develop guidelines for prevention of vision problems and creation of safe e-learning conditions. 

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