Symptomatic Dry Eye Disease and Associated Factors Among Adult Diabetic Patients in Adare General Hospital, Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia, 2023

Abstract

Symptomatic dry eye disease is a multifactorial ocular surface condition caused by disruption of the precorneal tear film and is a common clinical finding in diabetic patients. However, there was no study on the prevalence and associated factors of symptomatic dry eye disease among diabetic patients in Ethiopia or in the study area.Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of symptomatic dry eye disease among adult diabetic patients in Adare General Hospital, Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia, in 2023. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 493 adult diabetic patients who were selected using systematic random sampling, from April 23 to June 8, 2023. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview using an ocular surface disease index questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors potentially associated with symptomatic dry eye disease. Variable with a P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 488 subjects participated in this study with a response rate of 99%. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye disease was 34.