Prevalence of dry eye disease based on body mass index in Islamic boarding school population in rural Malang area

Abstract

AbstractPurpose: To investigate the prevalence of Dry Eye Disease (DED) based on body mass index (BMI) in Islamic boarding school population in the rural Malang area.Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted from October to November 2021. Samples were selected using consecutive sampling in Nurul Mutaqina Al‐Barokah Islamic boarding school Malang, East Java, Indonesia. 359 students and employees were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score and Tear Break Up Time (TBUT) test were used to assess dry eye disease. Body mass index was calculated using anthropometric measurements that included height and weight. BMI in adults is measured by dividing the body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (kg/m2) In paediatrics, gender‐specific BMI‐for‐age percentile curves are used to define the BMI category.Results: Of 359 participants, 90 participants had abnormal TBUT and 19 participants had an OSDI score of (13. 13 of them were diagnosed with DED, none was underweight, 38.5% were normoweight, 41.7% were overweight and 8.3% were obese p = 0.011 (OR 2232, CI 95%, 1207–4130).Conclusions: The prevalence of dry eye disease according to body mass index was 3.6% which tends to be low. DED was commonly found in groups with higher BMI. Further investigation to determine the prevalence of DED with a proportional amount of each BMI category is highly recommended for future research.