Association between perception of dry eye and use of electronic devices in medical students; Asociación entre percepción de ojo seco y uso de dispositivos electrónicos en estudiantes de medicina

Abstract

Introduction: Dry eye is a multifactorial disease which is related to the use of electronic devices. These devices are widely used by college students which could increase the risk of dry eye symptoms. Objective: To determine the association between the perception of dry eye symptoms and the use of electronic devices in medical students from Latin America. Methods: Cross-sectional study of secondary data in medical students from the last two years of 36 medical schools in Latin America. The presence of dry eye symptoms in the last month and how often they used different electronic devices was inquired. Data was collected on the frequency of use of the library. Results: Of 2 429 respondents, 34 % indicated that they had experienced dry eye symptoms in the last month, and of these, 68 % had symptoms between one and four times. In the multivariate analysis, recurrent smartphone use was associated with a higher frequency of dry eye symptoms (aPR:1,04, 95 % CI: 1,01-1,07). In addition, frequent use of the library was associated with a lower frequency of dry eye symptoms (aPR:0,54; 95 % CI: 0,38-0,75), adjusted for confounding variables. Conclusions: Frequent smartphone use was associated with a higher frequency of dry eye symptoms. Likewise, the use of libraries was associated with a lower frequency of dry eye symptoms. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.