ArticlePloS one2026
Behavioral and cultural determinants of symptomatic dry eye disease among university students in the UAE.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study aims to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic Dry Eye Disease (DED) and its associated risk factors among university students in the UAE.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 654 participants using the validated Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, distributed via an online Google survey. The survey assessed the prevalence of DED along with demographic and behavioral-cultural risk factors. Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to analyze group differences. Spearman's rank correlation evaluated associations between OSDI scores and quantitative variables.
resultsThe study revealed significant gender differences, with females reporting higher OSDI scores than males. Smoking behaviors were strongly associated with OSDI scores, with daily smokers and those smoking in indoor environments. Among smoking types, Dokha and Mouassal waterpipe users exhibited the highest median OSDI scores. Eye cosmetic practices with users of shorter annual usage reported higher scores, while effective cleansing methods, such as soap and water or cleansing creams, were associated with lower scores. Prolonged screen time and extended study hours were positively correlated with OSDI scores.
conclusionsSymptomatic DED is highly prevalent among UAE university students. These findings underscore the need for targeted awareness and prevention strategies to mitigate DED risk factors within this population.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.