The Effect of Visual Display Terminal Work on the Human Body

영상화면 단말기(VDT)작업이 인체에 미치는 영향

This study was performed to investigate the negative side effects of video display terminal (VDT) work on the human body and to provide data for preventing VDT syndrome. A questionnaire survey was made to 339 VDT workers at 22 offices in Taegu, Kyungpook and Kyungnam areas from July 1 to August 31, 1994, and 280 of them were finally used for statistical analysis. The VDT syndrome in the present study inclhded five factors, namely as eye-related symptom, psychological symptom, general body symptom, musculoskeletal symptom, and skin-related symptom, and the estimates of Crombach coefficients of the five factors were 0.954, 0.952, 0.953, 0.957, and 0.955, respectively, showing very high reliability. In view of socio-economical characteristics, the symptoms of female were higher than those of male in the order of musculoskeletal symptom, eye-related symptom, skin-related symptom and psychological symptom. The age group of 30 years or less was higher than the older groups in the order of musculoskeletal symptom, eye-related symptom, psychological symptom and skinrelated symptom. The group of lower education level showed higher skin-related symptom. The psychological symptom and skin-related symptom increased as the amount of smoking increased. Higher eye-related symptom was observed in the group without glasses. In the job-related variables, the group of working on programming and data input showed higher eye-related symptom and psychological symptom. The group of working on programming and graphic design showed higher musculoskeletal symptom and skin-related symptom. The skin-related symptom increased as the total time of VDT operation per day increased. The group of working 2-4 hours followed by 15 minutes rest was higher in musculoskeletal symptom and psychological symptom. Higher musculoskeletal symptom was observed from the group working on Friday and Sunday. The group of 1 year or less working showed higher in skin-related symptom. In relation with the VDT type, all symptoms except skin-related symptom were higher in the group using monochrome monitor. As showed above, the questionnaire could be a tool for evaluating VDT syndrome and prevention of the syndrome would be possible by a comprehensive consideration of factors including socio-economic characteristics, job-related variables and VDT type.