Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Disease among Adults in Saudi Arabia

Background: Environmental and epidemiological factors increase the risk of dry eye in Saudi Arabia, but most studies have limited generalizability. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among adults across Saudi Arabia and the associated risk factors. The secondary objective was to estimate the economic burden of DED by calculating lubricant usage and its annual costs. Methods: This cross-sectional study invited adults from across Saudi Arabia to complete a questionnaire that collected data regarding demographics, symptoms related to DED, previous diagnosis of DED, use of contact lenses, and use of eye lubricants. Results: A total of 2042 responses were received, of which 784 (38.4%) respondents had previously been diagnosed with DED and 752 (36.8%) were symptomatic but undiagnosed. Between the DED diagnosed and symptomatic-undiagnosed groups, a significant difference was found in terms of age ( P < 0.001), gender ( P = 0.002), presence of diabetes mellitus ( P = 0.004), smoking status ( P = 0.007), duration of electronic screen use ( P = 0.05), number of ocular complaints ( P < 0.001), and frequency of lubricants use ( P < 0.001). Between the DED-diagnosed and non-DED groups, significant differences were found in terms of age ( P < 0.001), gender ( P < 0.001), presence of diabetes mellitus ( P = 0.001), allergy ( P = 0.001), autoimmune disease ( P = 0.005), smoking status ( P < 0.001), and history of refractive surgery ( P < 0.001). The mean estimated annual cost of using lubricating agents was SAR 328.2 ± 210.3 (USD 87.5 ± 56.1), and this was significantly higher in the diagnosed group ( P = 0.01) than the symptomatic-undiagnosed group. Conclusions: The prevalence of DED is high among adults in Saudi Arabia. High-risk population include elderly, female, and using electronic screens for >2 hours/day.