Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2025 Jul 30;25(1):436.
doi: 10.1186/s12886-025-04263-w.

Electronic device exposure and dry eye symptoms among medical and nonmedical Palestinian university students: a multicenter cross-sectional study of associated factors

Mohammad Alashqar  1 , Shahed Taqatqa  1 , Abdalrahman Ayaseha  1 , Abdul Raheem Abu Shanab  2   3 , Ramzi Shawahna  4   5   6
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Electronic device exposure and dry eye symptoms among medical and nonmedical Palestinian university students: a multicenter cross-sectional study of associated factors

Mohammad Alashqar et al. BMC Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Background: Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent ophthalmological health condition affecting university students. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of DED among medical and nonmedical university students. In addition, another objective was to assess the impact of electronic device exposure on DED symptoms among medical and nonmedical Palestinian university students.

Methods: This was a large multicenter cross-sectional study that was conducted among medical and nonmedical students in the largest five major universities across the West Bank of Palestine. The study was conducted in the period between May 2024 and October 2024. DED symptoms were assessed using the Arabic version of the ocular surface disease index.

Results: A total of 426 students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 93.4%). Of the university students, 259 (60.8) were medical and 167 (39.2) were nonmedical students. The majority of the students (n = 355, 83.3%) used electronic devices. Of the students, 184 (43.2%) used more than one electronic device. The mean number of hours spent using electronic devices per day was 7.7 ± 2.7 h. The mean ocular surface disease index score was 28.9 ± 19.8. Of the students, 334 (78.4%) had DED symptoms of any severity, 77 (18.1%) had mild, 85 (20.0%) had moderate, and 172 (40.4%) had severe DED symptoms. Higher ocular surface disease index scores can be predicted by female sex (p-value = 0.001), consumption of alcohol (p-value = 0.001), having inadequate sleep (p-value < 0.001), using artificial tears (p-value < 0.001), and number of hours spent using electronic devices per day (p-value = 0.007).

Conclusion: Increased exposure time was associated with higher prevalence and severe DED symptoms, indicating a need for preventive measures such as screen breaks and ergonomic solutions. Factors related to contact lens use, inadequate sleep, and family history underscore the multifactorial nature of this condition. Interventions targeting these factors, including educational awareness and accessible eye care, are crucial given the potential negative impact on academic performance and quality of life.

Keywords: Digital devices; Dry eye disease; Palestine; Prevalence; Risk factors; University students.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was conducted in adherence to the local and international ethical principles, including those in the Declaration of Helsinki. The study received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of An-Najah National University (Med. Dec.2023/48). Written informed consent was obtained from all university students before they participated in the study, ensuring voluntary participation and awareness of the aims and procedures of the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of participant selection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Rouen PA, White ML. Dry eye disease: prevalence, assessment, and management. Home Healthc Now. 2018;36:74–83. 10.1097/NHH.0000000000000652. - PubMed
    1. Tan LL, Morgan P, Cai ZQ, Straughan RA. Prevalence of and risk factors for symptomatic dry eye disease in Singapore. Clin Exp Optom. 2015;98:45–53. 10.1111/cxo.12210. - PubMed
    1. Almohammed BA, Alnafeesah AA, Aldharman SS, Alenzi MH, Mahjari AA, Albalawi FA, et al. Prevalence and severity of dry eye disease symptoms among diabetics: A nationwide survey. Cureus. 2022;14:e30981. 10.7759/cureus.30981 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Garcia-Alfaro P, Garcia S, Rodriguez I, Vergés C. Dry eye disease symptoms and quality of life in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Climacteric. 2021;24:261–6. 10.1080/13697137.2020.1849087. - PubMed
    1. Zhmud T, Malachkova N, Redjak R, Costagliola C, Concilio M, Drozhzhyna G, et al. Dry eye disease severity and impact on quality of life in type II diabetes mellitus. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023;10:1103400. 10.3389/fmed.2023.1103400. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources