Jordan Journal of Nursing Research
Academic Demands and Eye Health: Prevalence and Quality of Life Effects of Dry Eye Disease among University Students

Authors:

Jamal Qaddumi; Asmaa Qaddumi; Shahd Abusalha; Hiba Qutieneh; Arwa Nimer; Muath Assi; Essa Nassar; Nisser Alhroub; Bayan ALBashtawy; Abdullah Alkhawaldeh; Omar Al Omari; Mohammed ALBashtawy; Salam Bani Hani; Sa'd ALbashtawy; Asem Abdalrahim; Zaid ALBashtawy;

Abstract:

 

Background: Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a common disease in the ophthalmic world, characterized by eye irritation, foreign body sensation, stinging, photophobia, and blurred vision. Objective: This study aimed to measure the quality of life (QOL) for dry eye participants among An-Najah University students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was used. Students aged between 17 and 24 years were selected based on a convenient selection; the total number of research subjects was 481. Data was collected in two steps at the same time: The first step includes giving the student the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) to diagnose if they have a dry eye disease or not. Then they are asked to fill out the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) to know how DED affects their QOL.

Results: The prevalence of dry eyes in Palestine was 69.4%. Also, it revealed that dry eyes are significantly associated with QOL, which has an impact on students’ daily life activities.

Conclusion: Our results have shown that quality of life is inversely proportioned with dry eye severity, showing that dry eye affects a person’s daily life activities.

Implication For Nursing: The findings in this study may increase nurses' awareness regarding DED and offer appreciated data for public health promotion in adolescents. Additional investigation is vital to have a better understanding of additional probable parameters linked to DED.

 

Keywords:

Dry Eye Disease (DED), Ocular Surface Disease, Index Questionnaire (OSDI), Quality of Life, Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25)