Mondiguing Mary Arsenia N, Coycoyen Karl, Goygoyan Monique, Taguiling Jay Adrian, Chakiwag Kc, Calde Winston, Dao-Ayan Kiarei, Bombase Clar Renzel, Rigor Mark, Catores Athena May
Ophthalmology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Baguio City, PHL.
Cureus. 2025 Jun 25;17(6):e86740. doi: 10.7759/cureus.86740. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Introduction Dry eye syndrome (DES) accounts for the majority of ophthalmological consultations and should be considered a high-priority health concern. DES can be progressive and has significant consequences for an individual's vision and quality of life. This study aims to fill the information gap regarding the prevalence and risk factors of DES among medical students at Saint Louis University (SLU) in the northern part of the Philippines during the "New Normal" period. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 236 medical students. The dependent variable, the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), and independent variables were assessed using a questionnaire created with Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA). The Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) was used to determine the level of stress of the students. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to determine the risk factors associated with the OSDI scores of the participants. Results The prevalence of DES, as determined by the OSDI questionnaire, was 194 out of 236 (82.20%). The mean OSDI score of the cohort was 30.16 ± 6.99, with a 95% confidence level. This study revealed that the factors of sex, error of refraction (EOR), and psychological stress showed significant correlations with the OSDI score, as determined by Chi-square analysis with p-values of 0.013, 0.001, and 0.006, respectively. The female sex and those with errors of refraction (EOR) had a higher risk of developing DES. There is also a direct relationship between psychological stress and DES. The higher the perceived psychological stress, the higher the OSDI score. Psychological stress among the students was at 231/236 (97.87%). Conclusion Dry eye syndrome is increasingly recognized as a significant health issue among young individuals due to the increasingly demanding nature of their lifestyles. This study identified a high prevalence of dry eye syndrome among medical students with female sex, error of refraction, and a high level of perceived stress as the significant risk factors. A longitudinal study involving different medical schools in the country, including clinical tests for DES, is recommended to better elucidate the relationship among the various risk factors. The results of this study serve as a basis for crafting policies to increase awareness, modify risk factors, and implement appropriate preventive measures.
引言 干眼症（DES）占眼科门诊的大多数，应被视为高度优先的健康问题。干眼症可能会进展，并对个人的视力和生活质量产生重大影响。本研究旨在填补菲律宾北部圣路易斯大学（SLU）医学院学生在“新常态”时期干眼症患病率和危险因素方面的信息空白。方法 对236名医学生进行了横断面调查。使用谷歌表单（谷歌公司，加利福尼亚州山景城）创建的问卷评估因变量眼表疾病指数（OSDI）和自变量。使用感知压力量表-4（PSS-4）来确定学生的压力水平。描述性和分析性统计用于确定与参与者OSDI得分相关的危险因素。结果 根据OSDI问卷确定，干眼症的患病率为236人中的194人（82.20%）。该队列的平均OSDI得分为30.16±6.99，置信水平为95%。本研究表明，性别、屈光不正（EOR）和心理压力因素与OSDI得分显著相关，经卡方分析确定，p值分别为0.013、0.001和0.006。女性和患有屈光不正（EOR）的人患干眼症的风险更高。心理压力与干眼症之间也存在直接关系。感知到的心理压力越高，OSDI得分越高。学生中的心理压力为231/236（97.87%）。结论 由于年轻人生活方式的要求越来越高，干眼症越来越被认为是一个重大的健康问题。本研究确定医学生中干眼症的患病率很高，女性、屈光不正和高度感知压力是重要的危险因素。建议开展一项涉及该国不同医学院校的纵向研究，包括干眼症的临床检测，以更好地阐明各种危险因素之间的关系。本研究结果可为制定提高认识、改变危险因素和实施适当预防措施的政策提供依据。
