Universal Journal of Public Health 11(4): 422-429, 2023 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2023.110406 Evaluation of the Effect of Computer Load on Metabolic Shifts Using the Method of Laser Correlation Spectroscopy Alchinova I. B., Pankova N. B., Kovaleva O. I., Karganov M. Yu * Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russia Received April 22, 2023; Revised July 10, 2023; Accepted July 20, 2023 Cite This Paper in the Following Citation Styles (a): [1] Alchinova I. B., Pankova N. B., Kovaleva O. I., Karganov M. Yu , " Evaluation of the Effect of Computer Load on Metabolic Shifts Using the Method of Laser Correlation Spectroscopy," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 422 - 429, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2023.110406. (b): Alchinova I. B., Pankova N. B., Kovaleva O. I., Karganov M. Yu (2023). Evaluation of the Effect of Computer Load on Metabolic Shifts Using the Method of Laser Correlation Spectroscopy. Universal Journal of Public Health, 11(4), 422 - 429. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2023.110406. Copyright©2023 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Widespread and constant use of digital devices has become a daily reality of modern life for both adults and children. Computers are mandatorily used in the educational process, even in the elementary school. The spectrum of damaging effects on the health of children and adolescents also increases with increasing the screen time. Functional strain of the body's systems manifested in an impairment of mental and physical performance and an increase in psychological stress, as well as disturbances in the regulation of heart rhythm, peripheral circulation, respiration, and psychomotor and metabolic processes caused by increased computer loads are usually not associated with specific diseases, but accompany the load itself, due to which they are recorded by health services only in case of manifestations of clinical signs of various diseases. Here we use the method of laser correlation spectroscopy/dynamic light scattering to assess the presence and direction of metabolic shifts in elementary school students experiencing different levels of school and out-of-school computer loads. Oropharyngeal washout fluid is used as the material for the study. The results are presented in the form of diagrams of the semiotic classifier. It is found that regular computer loads at school in accordance with hygienic standards significantly increase the percentage of normological shifts and significantly reduce the proportion of allergy-like shifts. In girls, increased out-of-school computer loads enhance the contribution of allergy-like and autoimmune-like shifts. These shifts reflect the predominance of anabolic processes over the catabolic ones. Evaluation of the combined effect of school and out-of-school loads in the elementary school reveals different responses of boys and girls to increased computer screen time. We observe an increase in the relative contribution of catabolic shifts in girls and anabolic shifts in boys. Assessment of the direction of metabolic shifts in screening studies can be useful in the development of preventive methods aimed at minimizing the negative consequences of uncontrolled computer loads. Keywords Laser Correlation Spectroscopy/Dynamic Light Scattering, Computer Loads, Metabolic Shifts 1. Introduction The interaction of humans and computer technologies is currently acquiring a symbiotic relationship. Computers, telephones, and TV are inevitable elements in most areas of activity. Increasing role of computer technologies in everyday life makes it necessary to consider an increase in screen time as a health risk factor. Computerization of the educational environment imposes new requirements to the child's health. In fact, this process is a stress factor that triggers an adaptive response of the body [1], or, when the adaptive resource is exhausted, leads to pathological changes. Complex nature of changes (physical inactivity,