Comparison of SPEED and OSDI questionnaires for dry eye symptom in Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study

To compare the suitability of the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) among Chinese college students, and to further validate the SPEED questionnaire by using the OSDI in a non-clinical sample.

This cross-sectional study involved 1,084 students from Nanyang Medical College, aged 18 to 21 years. The students completed the OSDI and SPEED questionnaires to assess dry eye symptoms. The correlation between the scores of the two questionnaires was analyzed to assess criterion validity. Based on the OSDI scores, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to determine the area under the ROC curve and the cut-off point for evaluating the diagnostic threshold of the SPEED questionnaire.

The Cronbach's alpha values for the OSDI and SPEED questionnaires were 0.943 and 0.911, respectively. Notably, only 281 participants (25.92%) completed all 12 questions in the OSDI questionnaire, whereas all participants completed the SPEED questionnaire without omitting any questions. The mean SPEED scores Full were 3.71, 11.57, 13.84, and 19.72 for each subgroup. Posthoc testing revealed statistically significant differences between all groups (P < 0.05). A significant correlation was observed between the OSDI score, the SPEED score, and the SPEED score Full, particularly between the SPEED score and the SPEED score Full.

In comparison to the OSDI questionnaire, the SPEED questionnaire demonstrates a favorable response rate, reliability, and validity in differentiating dry eye symptoms among Chinese college students. It may be more appropriate for diagnosing dry eye and conducting epidemiological studies within this population.