Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a tremendous expansion in the Internet and technology and social distancing, which increased the usage of digital devices more than before. This puts people at a higher risk of getting digital eye strain (DES) symptoms especially dry eye. This study aimed at evaluating the association between DESsymptoms, especially dry eye, and the online study during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical students at Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 medical students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed among medical students.
Results: The present study showed a significant difference between usage duration before and during the lockdown. Digital device use for more than 10 hours per day was reported by 67.4% of the medical students 57.1% were male students. Chi-squared analysis indicated most symptoms are associated with the usage duration. The overall prevalence of DES was 92.6%, and the most notable symptoms that increased during the pandemic were those related to eye dryness (43.5%). Moreover, the most frequently used device daily was the smartphone (90.6%) and tablet (71.2%).
Conclusion: The use of screen-based technologies has become a necessity of modern life, notably during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a serious dependence on them and an increase in the prevalence of DES symptoms, particularly eye dryness. It is important to raise awareness about DES symptoms, including dry eye associated with long use of digital devices and the measures to protect ocular health by limiting screen time use, following the 20-20-20 rule, using lubricant eye drops and protective glasses.
Key words: Dry eye, digital eye strain symptoms, COVID-19 pandemic, medical students, online study
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