Dry Eye and Sleep Disorders among Optometry Students in KNUST Amidst On-Line Teaching and Learning: A Cross- Sectional Study
Abstract
Globally, dry eye disease is a major public health concern with underestimated patient health consequences. The prolonged exposure to digital devices is identified as a common risk factor associated with dry eye. Increasing population of students with inadequate lecture hall has further increased exposure to digital devices especially among students as on-line teaching has been integrated into the university teaching. Increased dry eye symptoms are linked with sleep disorders, yet there is paucity of data among the student populace. This study investigates the association between dry eye disease and sleep disorders amidst increased exposure to screens of digital technology namely, computer and cell phones. A probability proportionate to size and systematic randomized sampling technique were used to recruit 285 participants. The demographic characteristics of participants were gathered using questionnaire. Dry eye disease and sleep disorders were ascertained using Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the standard Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire respectively. The mean age (±SD) of the study participants was 20.8 ±1.9 years with majority being males (51.2%). About 62.1% of the participants had a normal score on the OSDI assessment. The OSDI showed strong correlation with PSQI scores (p = 0.002), indicating most of the individuals who experienced dry eye symptoms also had sleep disorders. A significant correlation was found between increased in screen time and dry eye disorders. Individuals should be educated to put measures in place to reduce prolonged screen exposure. This will help in reducing symptoms of dry eye, which significantly can lead to sleep disorders, and thus affect productive output.