A Study on the Comparison of Video Display Terminal(VDT) Subjective Symptoms for Computer-addicted and Non-addicted Adolescents

컴퓨터 중독과 비중독 청소년의 컴퓨터 단말기(VDT) 자각증상 비교연구

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare subjective symptoms of VDT between computer-addicted and non-addicted adolescents. Method: A descriptive survey design was used and 646 students in one middle and two high schools were selected as participants. Result: The VDT subjective symptoms and degree of severity differed according to whether the students were computer-addicted or not, and in all symptoms, general, musculoskeletal, eye and mental, the mean score for subjective symptoms was higher in the addicted group than in the non-addicted group. The score for VDT subjective symptoms was highest in the addicted group for girls and students who were not healthy. The most frequent physical symptom reported by students who visited the school health room for a health problem after using the computer was headache. The most frequent type of treatment at the school health room was treatment of the symptom. Conclusions: This study suggests that students must acquire correct habits in computer use and be careful not to be addicted to the computer in order to avoid VDT syndrome. For this, educational authorities should develop computer-related health education programs and start the programs from the lower grades of elementary school.