Study On Mask-associated Dry Eye And Its Influencing Factors Without Clinical Diagnosis Based On Self-report Characteristics

Objective At present,dry eye caused by the use of masks due to the COVID-19 has become very common.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to assess the characteristics of undiagnosed mask-associated dry eye(MADE)participants in China through a webbased survey,explore the risk factors of mask-associated dry eye,to provide a reference for the prevention of MADE,and improve the understanding of mask associated dry eye.MethodsWe collected anonymous online questionnaires through Wenjuanxing(a platform providing functions equivalent to Amazon Mechanical Turk)from June 2022 to September 2022.The main body of the questionnaire is composed of the Chinese-Ocular surface disease index(C-OSDI)developed by the team of Allergan Inc.(Irvine,US)and the general situation questionnaire of patients.We used the C-OSDI dry eye questionnaire to assess their dry eye symptoms and severity;The relationship between insomnia and mask-associated dry eye was evaluated with the Insomnia Severity Index Scale(ISI).Use multiple logistic models to explore the influencing factors of self-reported maskassociated dry eye.SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results1.A total of 3376 respondents were included in this study,including 1086 males and 2290 females,with an average age of 27.28 ± 10.73 years.Among them,410 respondents selfreported dry eye symptoms and aggravation of symptoms after wearing masks,so the self-reported prevalence rate of mask-associated dry eye was 12.14%.Among them,1661(49.20%)respondents had dry eye disease(C-OSDI≥13 points),and 346(20.8%)reported that dry eye symptoms worsened after wearing masks.The Prevalence of dry eye disease was 49.20%.2.Univariate analysis showed that gender,age,education level,subjective eye sensation,type of glasses,diagnosis of DED,taking drugs that can easily cause dry eye for a long time,recent use of ophthalmic medications,daily sleep duration,daily outdoor activity time,types of masks,duration of wearing mask every day,use the video to display(VDT)the terminal time every day,use eye drops,ISI grade had statistical significance on MADE(all P < 0.05).3.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age,poor subjective perception of the eyes,wearing contact lenses or mixed wearing of frame glasses and contact lenses,diagnosis of DED,long-term use of drugs prone to dry eyes,recent use of eye drugs,wearing cloth masks,wearing masks daily for a long time,using video terminals daily for a long time,and the severity of insomnia were the risk factors for selfreported MADE(all P<0.05).4.Among the various ways to improve self-reported MADE,the use of traditional Chinese medicine and oral medicine had statistical significance in alleviating selfreported MADE(P<0.05).In terms of eye health products for relieving dry eyes,this study found that deep-sea fish oil and steam eye masks had statistical significance in relieving self-reported symptoms of MADE(P<0.05).ConclusionsIn the context of COVID-19,the demand for mask-wearing has become highly prevalent in terms of health and safety promotion.China has a high proportion of self-reported MADE people,and wearing masks will cause dry eye symptoms to appear or worsen.Therefore,it is recommended to select the appropriate type of face mask,standardizes the fitting pattern of mask-wearing,reduce the duration of continuous wearing of masks,scientifically wear contact lenses and frame glasses,maintain good sleep while doing an excellent job of protection,reduce the duration of use of video terminals,select appropriate dry eye relief routes and eye health products,provide eye health guidance and prevention and control treatment for different risk factors,and reduce the economic burden of diseases caused by dry eye disease,Propagandize and popularize the knowledge of wearing masks scientifically to protect the public’s eye health.