ArticleBMC ophthalmology2025
Electronic device exposure and dry eye symptoms among medical and nonmedical Palestinian university students: a multicenter cross-sectional study of associated factors.
Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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2 citing papers in PubMed.
- The prevalence and association between electronic cigarette use and dry eye symptom severity among Palestinian university students: a cross-sectional study.BMC ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Prevalence of dry eye symptoms and associated risk factors among students at Al-Mustaqbal University, Iraq.PloS one · 2025Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent ophthalmological health condition affecting university students. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of DED among medical and nonmedical university students. In addition, another objective was to assess the impact of electronic device exposure on DED symptoms among medical and nonmedical Palestinian university students.
methodsThis was a large multicenter cross-sectional study that was conducted among medical and nonmedical students in the largest five major universities across the West Bank of Palestine. The study was conducted in the period between May 2024 and October 2024. DED symptoms were assessed using the Arabic version of the ocular surface disease index.
resultsA total of 426 students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 93.4%). Of the university students, 259 (60.8) were medical and 167 (39.2) were nonmedical students. The majority of the students (n = 355, 83.3%) used electronic devices. Of the students, 184 (43.2%) used more than one electronic device. The mean number of hours spent using electronic devices per day was 7.7 ± 2.7 h. The mean ocular surface disease index score was 28.9 ± 19.8. Of the students, 334 (78.4%) had DED symptoms of any severity, 77 (18.1%) had mild, 85 (20.0%) had moderate, and 172 (40.4%) had severe DED symptoms. Higher ocular surface disease index scores can be predicted by female sex (p-value = 0.001), consumption of alcohol (p-value = 0.001), having inadequate sleep (p-value < 0.001), using artificial tears (p-value < 0.001), and number of hours spent using electronic devices per day (p-value = 0.007).
conclusionIncreased exposure time was associated with higher prevalence and severe DED symptoms, indicating a need for preventive measures such as screen breaks and ergonomic solutions. Factors related to contact lens use, inadequate sleep, and family history underscore the multifactorial nature of this condition. Interventions targeting these factors, including educational awareness and accessible eye care, are crucial given the potential negative impact on academic performance and quality of life.
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