Long-term health risk tied to computer use
長期性健康問題與使用電腦有所關連
By Henri Paget, ninemsn
作者：Henri Paget, ninemsn
Workers who spent long hours in front of a computer screen over the past decade may suffer serious long-term health problems, experts say.
專家表示，過去十年長期坐在電腦螢幕前面的上班族，可能會面對嚴重、長期的健康問題。
Weak muscles, sore eyes and depression are just some of the symptoms associated with what has been labelled the "dark age" of computing.
在這電腦的「黑暗時代」裡，肌肉無力、眼睛酸痛、以及抑鬱感只是其中一些症狀而已。
"People have spent a decade chained to their chair, chained to their keyboard, chained to their mouse," Curtin University's Leon Straker said.
「過去十年，人們陷在椅子裡、鎖在鍵盤前、與滑鼠纏在一起。」科廷大學的李奧‧史塔克說。
"Human bodies weren't meant to be sedentary like that ... people are simply not as active as the older generation."
「人體並不適於那樣久坐……，人們不像上一代那樣好動。」
Professor Straker, who specialises in the effects of computer use on physical health, said some workers will face muscle and bone problems earlier in life than in previous generations due to prolonged computer use.
史塔克教授專攻使用電腦對健康的影響，他表示跟上幾代人比起來，有些工作者會因為長時間使用電腦，而更早面臨肌肉與骨骼的問題。
"Sitting in front of a computer increases stress around the neck and shoulder area," he said.
「坐在電腦前會增加頸部與肩膀部位的壓力。」他說。
"In the future it is likely there will be more people with poorer, slumped posture, as well as weaker back muscles and lower bone density."
「將來很有可能會有更多人姿勢不良，同時背部肌肉更衰弱、骨質密度更低。」
People who spend long, uninterrupted periods staring at computer screens should also be wary of sore or tired eyes and blurry vision, said visual ergonomics specialist Jennifer Long.
視覺人體工學專家珍妮佛‧龍表示，長時間不間斷凝視電腦畫面的人，也要小心眼睛酸痛、視力模糊等問題。
The mental health effects of long-term computer use are not well established, but some studies have linked it to depression.
長時間使用電腦的心理健康效應，目前還沒有確切的定論；但一些研究指出，這會導致使用者抑鬱。
Research from Sweden in 2007 found that online chatting, SMS use and emailing were related to increased levels of stress and depression.
一份 2007 年的瑞典研究報告指出，線上交談、使用 SMS及電子郵件，與壓力及抑鬱的數據上升有關。
In Australia, Deakin University PhD student Megan Teychenne has examined links between depression and computer use among women.
在澳洲，迪肯大學的博士班學生梅根‧泰施耐發現，婦女的抑鬱傾向與使用電腦之間有所關連。
Her research shows that women reporting more than 21.5 hours of computer use per week had a higher rate of depression.
她的研究指出，每週使用超過 21.5 小時電腦的婦女之抑鬱傾向較高。
"However, we weren't able to determine whether it was because women became depressed using computers or whether women who are already depressed use computers more," she said.
「然而，我們還不確定是婦女因為使用電腦而感到抑鬱，或是已經感到抑鬱的婦女會更常使用電腦。」她說。
Health experts say workers should take every opportunity to step away from the computer screen, preferably once every half hour.
健康專家說，工作者應該把握每個離開電腦的機會，最好是每半小時一次。
Source at here.
生字 / 片語
associate with…: 與……相關
bone density: 骨骼密度
blurry: 模糊的
depression: 抑鬱（melancholia: 憂鬱症）
ergonomics: 人體工學
generation: 世代：一代
posture: 姿勢
preferably: 更好地；寧可
prolonged: 特別長的
sedentary: 坐著的；久坐的
slumped: 深陷的
specialise: 專精於；專攻（美：specialize）
stare: 凝視
stress: 壓力
suffer: 因……而受苦
symptom: 症狀
uninterrupted: 不中斷的
visual: 視覺的
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