ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dry eye disease (DED) is characterized by loss of homeostasis of the tear film or failure to produce sufficient amounts of tears to moisturize the eyes. The condition has been associated with several preventable risk factors. Objective: The objective of this study is to calculate the prevalence of dry eye and determine the associated risk factors among adults and children in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study targeting all Saudi populations, including all the regions of Saudi Arabia. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the five-item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) were used for data collection. Data were collected using an online form that was distributed through social media. Results: A total of 541 responses were analyzed. The OSDI scores showed that females represented 70.9%, and the age group of 20-40 years represented 59.7%. The prevalence of DED, including all severity levels, was 74.9%. The distribution across levels was as follows: mild cases at 26.2%, moderate cases at 18.2%, and severe at 30.4%. On the other hand, DEQ-5 has shown a prevalence of 37% among the pediatric age group. Several risk factors have been significantly associated with adults' dry eye, including low humidity (P-value=0.002), reading, driving, or watching electronic screens for extended durations (P-value=0.019), autoimmune diseases (P-value=0.033), and undergoing eye procedures (P-value-0.013). Conclusion: The current study reports a high prevalence rate of dry eyes among the Saudi population. Reading, driving, and using electronic screens for an extended period were found to be associated with the severity of DED. Prospective studies should focus on the epidemiology of the disease, which will provide evidence for better preventive and therapeutic measures.
ABSTRACT
Objective The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of risk factors among patients with glaucoma in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 215 patients diagnosed with glaucoma in the period between March 2022 and August 2022 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We used the participants' medical records and contacted the patients to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics and known risk factors of glaucoma. Results Among the 215 patients with glaucoma, 142 (66.0%) patients had open-angle glaucoma, 15 (7.0%) patients had closed-angle glaucoma, and 58 (27.0%) patients had congenital glaucoma. Among the patients with open-angle glaucoma, 122 (85.9%) patients were aged > 40 years, and 99 (69.7%) patients had myopia. Among the patients with closed-angle glaucoma, 13 (86.7%) patients had hyperopia and 10 (66.7%) patients were aged > 60 years. Among the patients with congenital glaucoma, 21 (36.2%) patients had a family history of congenital glaucoma and 28 (48.3%) patients had consanguine parents. Conclusion The prevalence of advanced age, hyperopia, and consanguine parents was the highest among patients with open-angle glaucoma, closed-angle glaucoma, and congenital glaucoma, respectively. These findings could inform public health policies among practitioners involved in ophthalmological care.
