Near working distances adopted by university students while viewing printed materials

Background: With the increased near visual requirements among university students needed for studying and reading, both on printed material and with digital devices being used for these activities now more than pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the near working distance (NWD) may have shifted from the standard NWD of 40 cm. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the working distance adopted by university students while viewing printed material at near. Setting: The study took place within a South African university. The sample consisted of 455 students, predominantly female (63.7%) of African descent (90.8%). The age range was from 17 years to 33 years with the mean age and standard deviation (s.d.) of 20.93 ± 2.06 years. Methods: While reading a 40 cm near chart in the seated position, in a room with a standardised chart luminance of 500 lux, three consecutive measurements of habitual near distance were measured. Results: For the whole sample, the mean NWD was 39.99 cm ± 9.41 cm, with a maximum and minimum of 64 cm and 16.17 cm, respectively, and a range of 47.83 cm. Females presented with larger mean NWD (40.19 cm ± 9.74 cm). Although white people were the smallest sample, they also had the smallest mean NWD (N = 9; 31.37 cm ± 7.91 cm). Finally, mixed-race people presented with the greatest variation in results (s.d. = 11.48 cm), whereas Indian Asian people had the smallest variation in NWD measurements (s.d. = 5.81 cm). Conclusion: University students have a mean NWD close to the standard clinical testing distance of 40 cm used for near testing, with 0.01 cm difference. Contribution: This study has established the NWD for university students compared to the standard of 40 cm that is used in the examination of patients in clinical practice. There are limited studies that have analysed the NWD in a South African university setting.