Dry eye disease in an adult population in South-West Nigeria.

AIM: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with dry eye disease (DED) in an adult population in south-west Nigeria.

METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among respondents aged 40 years and above. Questionnaires were administered on symptoms of DED, followed by ocular examination to elicit signs of DED by determining the tear film break-up time, corneal fluorescein staining score, and Schirmer I tests. Dry eye was diagnosed by the simultaneous presence of at least one symptom experienced "often or all of the time" and at least one sign in either eye.

RESULT: The respondents (n=363; females 188) were aged 59.1±13.1years. The prevalence of DED was 32.5% (95% CI=27.7-37.3), and the most commonly reported symptoms were grittiness (53.4%, 95% CI=44.4-62.4) and burning/stinging sensation (48.3%, 95% CI=39.3-57.3). On multivariate analysis, DED was significantly associated with age (OR 2.89, 95% C.I=1.67-4.93, p<0.001) but not use of benzalkonium containing topical medications, previous ocular surgery, household fuel use, menopausal status and presence of pterygium.

CONCLUSION: The outcome of the study shows that the prevalence of DED among adults above 40 years in south-west Nigeria is 32.5% and the associated risks include older age.