Mobile phone use and its threat to dependence among secondary school students - an explanatory study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Nomophobia (NMP) is a present-age phobia of loss of use of information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly smartphones. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study adopted a two-phase, exploratory consequential mixed methods design. The first phase was a quantitative exploration of the degree of NMP. The second mapped the potential area of risks in using modern ICT. Three working hypotheses were established to compare the opinions of secondary school students, their behaviour and degree of NMP. A 20-item anonymous questionnaire was administered to 373 boys and girls aged 14-15 in 11 randomly-selected secondary schools in the Czech Republic. RESULTS: The results prove that 0.5% of the subjects did not exhibit symptoms of NMP, a very mild form of NMP was detected in 71% of respondents, a mild form of NMP was detected in 18.7% of the respondents, a moderate form of NMP was detected in 7.8% of respondents, and a severe form of NMP was detected in 2% of respondents. Almost three-quarters of the students were not directly at risk of dependence on a mobile phone, but a 10th of the sample exhibited a set of symptoms of behavioural addiction. On average, respondents used 4 applications, communication programmes, social networks, and music players. Girls reported a higher dependence on mobile phones in comparison to boys. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigations should directly ascertain which integrands predict NMP, identifying risk groups, and developing preventive strategies (social and environmental factors) to better understand the underlying cause of NMP.

Computer vision syndrome - symptoms and prevention.

Computer vision syndrome is a term for a set of symptoms that often manifest themselves during a long-term work on a digital device. According to several studies, these symptoms are more common in people with uncorrected latent strabismus. The most frequent complications include eye fatigue, blurred and double vision, headaches, and neck and back pain. The aim of this study is to point out the most common manifestations of computer vision syndrome and how to minimize or eliminate the occurrence of these manifestations. The aim of the research was also to verify whether people with horizontal heterophoria manifest symptoms of computer vision syndrome more than people without heterophoria. At first came the diagnosis of latent strabismus. Then we created a research and a control group and finally we set a questionnaire evaluating computer vision syndrome. The research included 56 participants, wherein 30 % (17) were men and 70 % (39) were women. After dividing the research sample into two groups - one with heterophoria and one with orthophoria - it was discovered that 54 % (30) of the participants had heterophoria measured at a distance of 70 cm while 46 % (26) of the participants were included in the control, orthophoric group. After the questionnaire evaluation, it was found out that for participants with heterophoria, the final score in the questionnaire was 9.4 ± 6.6 points. Participants who were heterophoric had a better average score of the questionnaire, 7.1 ± 5.5 points. In addition, participants with heterophoria were more likely to report increased visual discomfort at close range, associated with eye pain and problems with simple binocular vision compared to participants without heterophoria. It was confirmed that latent strabismus has a negative effect on the endurance of participants when working with a computer. Moreover, people with heterophoria show greater subjective difficulties when working with digital devices compared to the control group. To improve the quality of work with digital devices, it is necessary to work on alleviating the manifestations of computer vision syndrome, which can be achieved by following the rules of visual hygiene, workplace ergonomics, the use of quality work equipment and expanding regular eye examinations for a screening of the latent strabismus.

[Secondary symptoms of disability in international studies]. / Sekundární príznaky zdravotního postizení v mezinárodních studiích.

The overview study deals with the secondary conditions in individuals with disability. In the framework of the overview study 24 researches (1984-2016) were analyzed. According to the researches, individuals with disabilities are exposed to several secondary conditions such as obesity, pressure sores, metabolic imbalance, pain, fatigue, depression and others. Secondary conditions have been observed mainly in individuals with physical disability. The most frequently used research approach was a quantitative research strategy based on the form of a questionnaire. The range of research sample differs among selected studies. Smallest research sample consisted of 71 respondents, the largest of 3076 respondents. Secondary symptoms of disability may be perceived as less serious problems, however their presence and cumulation can significantly decrease the quality of life of people with disabilities.