title: Vision-related problems among the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  American Optometric Association defines Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) as "complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use." This happens when visual demand of the tasks exceeds the visual ability of the users. Even though problems were initially attributed to computer-related activities subsequently similar problems are also reported while carrying any near point task. Jewellery manufacturing activities involves precision designs, setting the tiny metals and stones which requires high visual attention and mental concentration and are often near point task. It is therefore expected that the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing may also experience symptoms like CVS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Keeping the above in mind, this study was taken up (1) To identify the prevalence of symptoms like CVS among the workers of the jewellery manufacturing and compare the same with the workers working at computer workstation and (2) To ascertain whether such symptoms have any permanent vision-related problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out in Zaveri Bazaar region and at an IT-enabled organization in Mumbai. The study involved the identification of symptoms of CVS using a questionnaire of Eye Strain Journal, opthalmological check-ups and measurement of Spontaneous Eye Blink rate. The data obtained from the jewellery manufacturing was compared with the data of the subjects engaged in computer work and with the data available in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative inferential statistics was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that visual demands of the task carried out in jewellery manufacturing were much higher than that of carried out in computer-related work.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Miner's Health, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research Development and Design Centre Campus, Wadi, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Urmi Ravindra
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Salve
keywords: Computer vision syndrome; jewellery; vision