Prevalence and Severity of Dry Eye Disease Among Computer Users: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/apz6bh36Keywords:
Dry eye disease, Ocular Surface Disease Index, Computer vision syndrome, Visual display terminal, Tear film, South IndiaAbstract
Background: Prolonged use of computers and visual display terminals (VDTs) is increasingly recognised as a contributor to ocular surface discomfort and dry eye disease (DED). Sustained near work reduces blink rate and increases tear-film evaporation, predisposing screen users to symptomatic dry eye. Data from South Indian populations of regular computer users remain limited.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and severity of DED among regular computer users attending a tertiary care teaching hospital, and to examine the relationship between patterns of computer use and symptom burden using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI).
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study enrolled 220 regular computer/VDT users. Dry eye symptoms were assessed using the validated OSDI questionnaire (score range 0–100). Dry eye status and severity were classified from OSDI cut-offs (normal 0–12; mild 13–22; moderate 23–32; severe 33–100). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests and independent-samples t-tests were applied, with p<0.05 considered significant.
Results: Participants had a mean age of 36.4 (SD 11.2) years; 111 (50.5%) were male. Mean daily computer use was 6.7 (SD 2.9) hours. The mean OSDI score was 36.4 (SD 12.9). DED prevalence was 98.2% (216/220; 95% CI 96.4–99.9%). Among those affected, 126 (58.3%) had severe disease. Daily computer-use hours correlated positively and significantly with OSDI score (r=0.507, p<0.001), indicating a dose-response relationship. Dry eye status did not differ significantly by screen-break habit, contact-lens use or air-conditioning (all p>0.05).
Conclusions: Symptomatic dry eye was near-universal and frequently severe in this selected sample of computer users, with daily screen-time hours showing a strong dose-response association with symptom severity. The near-universal prevalence should be interpreted as a feature of a highly exposed, self-selected hospital population rather than a general-population estimate.
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