Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 14;14(1):23986. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75345-w.
This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) symptoms, their associated factors, and the impact on quality of life (QOL) and mental health among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic using online surveys. Participants completed questionnaires covering demography, medical history, and personal data. The Thai version of the Dry Eye-related Quality-of-Life Score (DEQS-Th) was used for DED screening. The QOL and mental health challenges (support, coping, stress, and depression) were evaluated by the EuroQoL-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) and Thymometer questionnaires. A total of 449 participants were analyzed, with a mean age of 21.8 years and 61.5% female. The prevalence of DED symptoms was 60.4% (95%CI 55.7-64.8). The DEQS-Th score, the EQ-5D-5L score, and all aspects of mental health challenges were significantly worse in DED participants compared to non-DED participants. Associated factors for DED symptoms included preexisting DED (p = 0.001), refractive errors (p = 0.007), allergic conjunctivitis (p = 0.001), artificial tears use (p < 0.001), and decreased EQ-5D-5L score (p < 0.001). This study highlighted the high prevalence of DED symptoms among medical students during the pandemic and its negative impact on QoL and mental health. Notably, female gender, contact lens wear, screen time, and mask-wearing duration were not associated with DED symptoms.
本横断面研究旨在使用在线调查评估 COVID-19 大流行期间医学生干眼疾病（DED）症状的患病率、其相关因素以及对生活质量（QOL）和心理健康的影响。参与者完成了涵盖人口统计学、病史和个人资料的问卷。使用泰国版干眼相关生活质量评分（DEQS-Th）进行 DED 筛查。通过 EuroQoL-5 维度-5 级（EQ-5D-5L）和 Thymometer 问卷评估 QOL 和心理健康挑战（支持、应对、压力和抑郁）。共分析了 449 名参与者，平均年龄为 21.8 岁，女性占 61.5%。DED 症状的患病率为 60.4%（95%CI 55.7-64.8）。与非 DED 参与者相比，DED 参与者的 DEQS-Th 评分、EQ-5D-5L 评分和心理健康挑战的所有方面都明显更差。DED 症状的相关因素包括既往存在 DED（p=0.001）、屈光不正（p=0.007）、过敏性结膜炎（p=0.001）、人工泪液使用（p<0.001）和 EQ-5D-5L 评分降低（p<0.001）。这项研究强调了大流行期间医学生中 DED 症状的高患病率及其对 QOL 和心理健康的负面影响。值得注意的是，女性性别、隐形眼镜佩戴、屏幕时间和戴口罩时间与 DED 症状无关。
