Prevalence and risk factors associated with dry eye syndrome among senior high school students in a county of Shandong Province, China.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and risk factors for dry eye syndrome (DES) among senior high school students in Shouguang, a county of Shandong Province, China.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2010, and 1902 senior high school students were selected by multi-stage sampling to answer a questionnaire assessing the prevalence and risk factors for DES. DES was defined as the presence of a previous clinical diagnosis of DES or severe symptoms (both dryness and irritation constantly or often). Risk factors associated with DES were evaluated with a χ(2) test and logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
The prevalence of DES was 23.7%. In univariate analysis, myopia (P < 0.0001), contact lens wear (P = 0.020), inadequate refractive correction (P < 0.0001), frequent self-administered topical ophthalmic medications (P < 0.0001), and poor sleep quality (P = 0.007) were significantly associated with DES. In multivariate analysis, inadequate refractive correction (P < 0.0001, odds ratio, OR 1.980; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.577-2.488), frequent self-administered topical ophthalmic medications (P < 0.0001, OR 1.838; 95% CI 1.399-2.410), and poor sleep quality (P = 0.001, OR 1.342; 95% CI 1.054-1.709) were significant risk factors for DES.


CONCLUSIONS
Senior high school students are a neglected population with a high prevalence of DES. Preventive measures directed against risks factors for DES among senior high school students may help reduce the prevalence and provide a positive impact on students' health.
Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, China.
Ying
Y
Zhang
Hongmei
H
Chen
Xinyi
X
Wu
D000293:Adolescent; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult