FACTORS AFFECTING SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS OF VDT WORKERS

Abstract

In 1983, 285 (male: 129, female: 156) VDT workers and 60 (male: 30, female: 30) control subjects were examined in order to detect the factors affecting the subjective symptoms of VDT workers. Biological information (for example: sex, age), life histories, information about VDT work, tests (for example: visual acuity), symptoms and interferences to daily life of VDT workers and control subjects were collected. The following results were obtained.
1. Female VDT workers experienced more fatigue from commuting to work, stiffness in shoulders, distant blurred vision complaints of visual acuity and sum of the scores of ocular complaints than female control subjects.
2. Only among female VDT workers, the longer the daily working hours, the greater were their ocular symptoms.
3. A remarkable relationships were observed between psychological burden factors (for example: self-control of VDT work, sensation of excessive VDT work) and subjective symptoms of the VDT workers (both sexes). In particular, VDT workers who considered VDT work to be excessive had marked by greater subjective symptoms than those who did not.