Method
Participants
We approached 660 students to participate in our survey at a public college located in New York City.
Of those approached, 20 declined to participate. Also, 20 completed surveys were deemed invalid. The
response rate of 93.9% was computed from the 620 completed surveys [(620/660)100%]. In our
sample, we excluded 32 people above the age of 36 to have a young adult sample. The data were analyzed from 588 participants. The study received IRB approval and was conducted according to the ethical framework of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. All participants were surveyed from April 2012 through
August 2012. Participants completed anonymous surveys in the college library, classes, and cafeteria. The survey
began with an introductory description of both computer vision syndrome and the Eye Science Computer
Eye Strain Formula. This content was based upon the marketing brochure describing the product. This
content included description of computer vision syndrome and potential treatment approaches. It also
included information about the soft-gel capsule Eye Science Computer Eye Strain Formula, the
active ingredients in the capsule, and that it is avail-able for purchase at retailers such as CVS and Rite
Aid. A disclosure was included that the supplement
was not a prescription medication and that this information was not approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.
Measures
Theory of Planned Behavior
The Theory of Planned Behavior variables included intentions, attitudes, social norms, and behavioral
control. Questions were created based upon the manual for creating a survey using the Theory of Planned Behavior.
14 Intentions
The intentions scale consists of three items. A Likert-style scale was used to measure all the items with a range from 1¼strongly disagree to 7¼strongly agree. A sample item is, ‘‘I expect to use the Eye Science Computer Eye Strain Formula for my eyes.’’ The total score was calculated by adding all three items. Greater scores indicate greater intentions.
Cronbach alpha reliability in this sample was 0.92