Silva Filipe Da, Linhares João M M, Jorge Jorge, Lira Madalena
Physics Center of Minho and Porto Universities (CF-UM-UP), School of Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2025 Jun;48(3):102351. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2024.102351. Epub 2024 Dec 10.
The stability of the tear film is crucial for maintaining good ocular health. Its assessment provides valuable insights into paediatric eye conditions. This study investigates the stability of the tear film in children and its association with predictive factors such as age and sex, for a better understanding of tear film dynamics in a paediatric population.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-urban area in northern Portugal. Tear film stability was evaluated using non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) measured with Tearscope Plus. The evaluation was conducted subjectively, with measurements obtained exclusively in the right eye. The mean of three consecutive measures of the NIBUT was considered in the statistical analysis.
A total of 2094 children (1072 females, 1022 males), with a mean age of 8.6 ± 1.3 years, were included. It was found a mean NIBUT of 14.8 ± 5.4 s (s), with no statistically significant difference between females (14.9 ± 5.4 s) and males (14.7 ± 5.4 s) (p = 0.407). Around 20 % of the children had a NIBUT < 10 s, and about 7 % had a NIBUT ≤ 5 s. A significant increase in NIBUT with age during the middle childhood stage (6 to 11 years old) was also found (p = 0.019), with NIBUT increasing from 14.1 ± 5.7 s in 6-year-olds to 16.3 ± 4.8 s in 11-year-olds (p = 0.006). However, when results were separated by the participants' sex, only the male group showed statistically significant differences (p = 0.021).
A significant increase in NIBUT was found during the middle childhood stage, primarily driven by male participants. These findings underscore the importance of considering age and sex in assessing tear film stability in paediatric populations.
泪膜稳定性对于维持良好的眼部健康至关重要。对其进行评估可为了解儿童眼部状况提供有价值的见解。本研究调查了儿童泪膜的稳定性及其与年龄和性别等预测因素的关联，以便更好地了解儿科人群中的泪膜动态。
在葡萄牙北部的一个半城市地区进行了一项横断面研究。使用Tearscope Plus测量的无创泪膜破裂时间（NIBUT）来评估泪膜稳定性。评估是主观进行的，测量仅在右眼进行。统计分析中考虑了NIBUT连续三次测量的平均值。
共纳入2094名儿童（1072名女性，1022名男性），平均年龄为8.6±1.3岁。发现平均NIBUT为14.8±5.4秒（s），女性（14.9±5.4秒）和男性（14.7±5.4秒）之间无统计学显著差异（p = 0.407）。约20%的儿童NIBUT<10秒，约7%的儿童NIBUT≤5秒。还发现童年中期（6至11岁）NIBUT随年龄显著增加（p = 0.019），NIBUT从6岁儿童的14.1±5.7秒增加到11岁儿童的16.3±4.8秒（p = 0.006）。然而，按参与者性别分开结果时，只有男性组显示出统计学显著差异（p = 0.021）。
在童年中期发现NIBUT显著增加，主要由男性参与者推动。这些发现强调了在评估儿科人群泪膜稳定性时考虑年龄和性别的重要性。
