Dry eye disease among plain and hilly areas of Punjab

Abstract

Background: Dry Eye Disease is an important ocular surface disorder that considered as a public health issue due to its impact on vision-related quality of life of the affected subject. The prevalence of DED has been reported in many countries around the world, with a range of between 9.5–90% This variation has been suggested to be influenced by geographical location. Objectives:  To assess the pattern of dry eye disease among geographically diverse population of Pakistan  To find out the association of dry eye between sociodemographic variables. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out at plain and hilly areas of Province Punjab, Pakistan. Total 400 respondents, visiting eye camps were selected through non-probability convenient sampling. Data of dry eye disease was collected using OSDI questionnaire and were entered and analyzed using SPSS. Chi-square test of association was applied to check the association of Dry eye with diverse geographical area and socio-demographic factors. Results: Out of total 400 respondents, majority were females in plain geographical area (n=124, 62%) and in hilly area (n=88, 44%).In plain area dry eye disease was more prevalent among age 18-28 (n=131,65%), whereas in hilly 39-49 was affected age group (n= 59, 29.50%). Among dry eye symptoms majority of the patients have experienced light sensitivity half of the time in both plain area (n=60,30%) and in hilly area (n=72,36%), vision related questions showed that most of the time participants in hilly area faced difficulty while reading (n=96,48%), dry eye disease was severe among hilly area v compared to plain area. Overall, dry eye OSDI score differed significantly between participants of hilly and plains area (p<0.001). Conclusion: DED is common in population ≥30 years of age. The prevalence of DED is high in the study population. Younger Age and Female gender were associated risk factors with the development of DED. Its prevalence is affected by extrinsic (geographic location, exposure to sunlight,) and intrinsic (age, sex,) factors. Keywords: Dry Eye, OSDI, Plain area, Hilly Area, Geographical diversity.