Objective This study aimed to assess the relationship between using digital screens in school children and adolescents and dry eye disease. Patients and methods This prospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted between January and July 2024 at the Ophthalmology Department of Menoufia University Hospital, Menoufia and Kafr El-Sheikh Ophthalmology Center, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. It included 90 school children (180 eyes), aged 10–18 years (35 boys and 55 girls), who were outpatient clinic visitors and regular users of digital screens such as smartphones and tablets. The participants were assessed by the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, followed by clinical evaluation that included the tear break-up time (TBUT), lower tear meniscus height (LTMH), and the Schirmer’s test. The participants were grouped according to the duration of screen use into two groups: 3 h or less and more than 3 h groups. Results Most of the studied children (64.4%) spent more than 3 h daily on digital screens. The OSDI revealed a statistically significant correlation between increased screen time and higher OSDI scores ( r =+0.536, P <0.001). In the group of less than or equal to 3 h of daily screen time, 78.1% had normal OSDI scores, compared to only 34.5% in the more than 3 h group. The TBUT ( r =−0.421, P <0.001), Schirmer’s test ( r =−0.494, P <0.001), and LTMH ( r =−0.559, P <0.001) showed statistically significant reductions in the children with more than 3 h of screen time. Normal TBUT was observed in 78.1% of the low screen time group compared to 39.7% among the high screen time users. Similarly, while 90.6% of the children with less than or equal to 3 h of screen time had normal tear production, only 48.3% of those with more than 3 h had normal Schirmer’s test results. Additionally, 81.25% of the children with less than or equal to 3 h of daily screen time had an LTMH more than or equal to 300 μm, compared to only 32.8% among those with high screen use. Conclusion There was a significant association between prolonged daily digital screen use among school-aged children and adolescents and the severity of dry eye symptoms, as well as the corresponding clinical indicators. This extended screen exposure adversely affected the ocular surface health, resulting in unfavorable outcomes.
El-Sobky et al. (Thu,) studied this question.