The association between visual ergonomics and visual performance : Are visual well-being and health a mediator in this association or not

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is an association between perceived visual ergonomics work conditions, visual well-being and health and visual performance at the Swedish Tax Agency by a digitalized questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to ninety-four respondents. Out of them, eighty-six participants, 54 women (63%), 31 men (36 %) and 1 person (1%) who did not want to be identified with any gender answered the questionnaire. Multiple regressions analysis investigated the association between visual ergonomics work conditions and visual performance, with and without visual well-being and health used as a mediator. Screen time outside of work was used as a covariate in all analysis. Descriptive results reported visual ergonomics (M=8.86, SD=2.06), visual well-being and health (M=10.40, SD=11.02) and visual performance (M=15.72, SD=9.51). Results from the multiple regression analysis displayed a significant association between visual ergonomics and visual well-being and health (r2=.098, β=.254, p<0.05) and between visual ergonomics and self-rated visual performance (r2=.304, β=.307, p<0.01). When visual well-being and health was used as a mediator, the association between visual ergonomics and self-rated visual performance remained the same (r2=.310, β=.295, p<0.01). Conclusion drawn from this study was that a reduction in visual performance seemed to occur in isolation from any impact of visual well-being and health.