Alrabghi Dana A, Abudungor Rahaf L, Alsulaiman Yasmeen S, Najjar Albaraa, Al-Manjoumi Ahmed M
Faculty of Medicine, Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Jeddah, SAU.
Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Jun 9;15(6):e40170. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40170. eCollection 2023 Jun.
Dry eye disease (DED) is characterized by loss of homeostasis of the tear film or failure to produce sufficient amounts of tears to moisturize the eyes. The condition has been associated with several preventable risk factors. Objective: The objective of this study is to calculate the prevalence of dry eye and determine the associated risk factors among adults and children in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study targeting all Saudi populations, including all the regions of Saudi Arabia. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the five-item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) were used for data collection. Data were collected using an online form that was distributed through social media. Results: A total of 541 responses were analyzed. The OSDI scores showed that females represented 70.9%, and the age group of 20-40 years represented 59.7%. The prevalence of DED, including all severity levels, was 74.9%. The distribution across levels was as follows: mild cases at 26.2%, moderate cases at 18.2%, and severe at 30.4%. On the other hand, DEQ-5 has shown a prevalence of 37% among the pediatric age group. Several risk factors have been significantly associated with adults' dry eye, including low humidity (P-value=0.002), reading, driving, or watching electronic screens for extended durations (P-value=0.019), autoimmune diseases (P-value=0.033), and undergoing eye procedures (P-value-0.013). Conclusion: The current study reports a high prevalence rate of dry eyes among the Saudi population. Reading, driving, and using electronic screens for an extended period were found to be associated with the severity of DED. Prospective studies should focus on the epidemiology of the disease, which will provide evidence for better preventive and therapeutic measures.
干眼疾病（DED）的特征是泪膜稳态丧失或无法产生足够量的眼泪来滋润眼睛。这种情况与多种可预防的风险因素有关。目的：本研究的目的是计算沙特阿拉伯成年人和儿童中干眼的患病率，并确定相关风险因素。方法：这是一项针对所有沙特人群的横断面研究，包括沙特阿拉伯的所有地区。使用眼表疾病指数（OSDI）和五项干眼问卷（DEQ - 5）进行数据收集。数据通过在社交媒体上分发的在线表格收集。结果：共分析了541份回复。OSDI评分显示，女性占70.9%，20 - 40岁年龄组占59.7%。包括所有严重程度级别的DED患病率为74.9%。各级别分布如下：轻度病例占26.2%，中度病例占18.2%，重度病例占30.4%。另一方面，DEQ - 5显示在儿童年龄组中的患病率为37%。几个风险因素与成年人干眼显著相关，包括低湿度（P值 = 0.002）、长时间阅读、驾驶或看电子屏幕（P值 = 0.019）、自身免疫性疾病（P值 = 0.033）以及接受眼部手术（P值 = 0.013）。结论：本研究报告沙特人群中干眼患病率较高。发现长时间阅读、驾驶和使用电子屏幕与DED的严重程度有关。前瞻性研究应关注该疾病的流行病学，这将为更好的预防和治疗措施提供证据。
