Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Dry Eye Disease Among Office Workers Using Visual Display Terminals

To determine the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease among office workers using visual display terminals (VDTs) 

Eye and Vision Institute, The Medical City, Ortigas Avenue, Metro Manila, Philippines

This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. The dry eye screening records of 405 VDT office workers from 19 companies in Metro Manila were reviewed. The subjects were classified into Dry Eye Disease (DED) and Non-Dry Eye (non-DED) based on dry eye symptom/s (score of at least 2 in any symptom in the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire) and decreased tear film break-up time (TBUT) of less than 5 seconds. The following parameters were compared between the two groups: clinicodemographic characteristics, TBUT, and tear film break-up pattern (TFBP).

The prevalence of DED was 75.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70.8% to 79.4%). Majority of all workers have never been assessed nor treated for DED. Workers with DED were older, comprised more females, and had a higher prevalence of topical eyedrop use. The median time spent on VDTs was 8 hours/day for both DED and non-DED groups. The most common symptoms were light sensitivity (52%); blurred vision (46%); difficulty working with screens (46%); and discomfort with low humidity (44%), air-conditioned spaces (44%), and windy conditions (42%). A linear tear film break-up was associated with DED, while a random break was more frequent in non-DED. The odds of DED among females was 2.3 times as much as that in males (95% CI, 1.37–3.71, p= .001).

Dry eye disease is highly prevalent among office workers using VDTs especially among females. There is an unmet need for increased awareness, timely screening, and effective management for DED among VDT based workers.