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Prevalence and Risk Factors for Symptomatic Dry Eye Disease Based on McMonnies Questionnaire Among Medical Students,
Hanan M Aljammaz1, Wijdan M Aleithan1, Amal Mohammad Albalawi2
1Internal Medicine Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Purpose:
Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular problem that worsens patients' quality of life. This study aimed to assess DED prevalence and risk factors among medical students at the University of Tabuk.
Patients And Methods:
This is an analytical, cross-sectional, survey-based study. An online questionnaire was distributed by email to all medical students at the University of Tabuk. A self-administered McMonnies questionnaire was used in the assessment.
Results:
We included 247 medical students who completed the questionnaire. Most participants were females (71.3%) and were <25 years old (85.8%). DED prevalence rate was 18.2% (95% CI=13.61% to 23.61%). Furthermore, DED was found to be significantly associated with the presence of irritation of eyes when waking up from sleep (OR=19.315), sleeping with partially opened eyes (OR=19.105), redness and irritation of the eyes when swimming in chlorinated fresh water (OR=7.863), and having prescription eyedrops or other dry eye treatments (OR=3.083).
Conclusion:
Our study at the University of Tabuk found that 18.2% of medical students had dry eye disease and identified the associated risk factors. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent complications due to the high prevalence of DED.
