Prevalence and risk factors of symptomatic dry eye disease in Lebanon

Abstract

PurposeTo estimate the prevalence of symptomatic dry eye disease (DED) and investigate its associated risk factors in the Lebanese population. MethodsPopulation-based cross-sectional study of 602 participants from Lebanon aged 18 years and older. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire on dry eye symptoms was used to evaluate the prevalence of symptomatic DED. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between DED status and risk factors such as age, gender and smoking tobacco. ResultsThe percentage of DED among the study population (271 males and 331 females) was 36.4% with OSDI score ≥ 13 (mild to moderate and severe OSDI status). The most reported DED symptom in the population was sensitivity to light. Smokers reported higher DED symptoms than non-smokers. Older and smoker populations were more likely to report significantly higher OSDI scores (p < 0.05). Moreover, gender was not statistically associated with DED (p > 0.05). ConclusionSymptomatic DED is substantial in Lebanon. It is statistically associated with the age of population and their tobacco exposure.