<![CDATA[Smartphone use increases near-viewing activity and digital-screen exposure, both of which may be associated with visual changes. This study aimed to analyze the association between the duration of smartphone blue-light exposure and potential myopia among 2021-entry students at Universitas Palangka Raya. An observational analytic cross-sectional design was used with 60 students aged 19–23 years selected by random sampling from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Social and Government Sciences. Smartphone-use duration was obtained through a Google Forms questionnaire, while visual acuity was examined using a Snellen chart. Univariable and bivariable analyses were performed using the Chi-square test. Thirty-eight respondents (63.3%) were classified as myopic and 22 (36.7%) as normal. In the ≤2-hour-use group, 17 of 21 respondents (81.0%) were classified as myopic, whereas 21 of 39 respondents (53.8%) in the >2-hour-use group were classified as myopic. The Chi-square test showed a statistically significant association (p=0.038). However, the group proportions did not demonstrate a simple dose-response pattern; therefore, the findings should not be interpreted as causal evidence that longer exposure directly increases myopia. The cross-sectional design, use of screen duration as a proxy for blue-light exposure, and exposure to other digital devices are important limitations. Further longitudinal studies using objective exposure measurements, comprehensive refractive assessment, and confounder control are warranted.]]>
