Home Computers, Dangerous To Your Health

A new study shows injuries in the home involving computers have increased sevenfold over 13 years.

You might not think your home computer is hazardous to your health, but it seems that it is. At least, that’s the conclusion from a study that’s looked at the number of accidents involving computers that’s in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

It says that between 1994 and 2006 some 78,000 people were treated in hospitals in the US for computer-related injuries, 93% of the incidents happening in the home, and with the injury rate rising 732% over the period.

The most accidents occurred in children under five, from tripping over cables to falling monitors causing head injuries.

Dr. Lara McKenzie of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, lead researcher on the study, said:

"Future research on acute computer-related injuries is needed as this ubiquitous product becomes more intertwined in our everyday lives."

"Given the large increase in acute computer-related injuries over the study period, greater efforts are needed to prevent such injuries, especially among young children."