The Relationship Between Circadian Typology and Dry Eye Symptoms in Chinese College Students

Abstract

Purpose To explore the relationship between symptomatic dry eye and circadian typology in college students. Methods This study included 269 students from 3 Chinese universities. All participants completed the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. Participants were grouped into 3 types by the reduced MEQ (rMEQ) score:E-Type, N-Type, and M-Type. All these parameters were then analyzed for the effect on the severity of dry eye. Results The occurrence rates of poor sleep quality (PSQI>5) and symptomatic dry eye (OSDI > 13) in the college students were 53.2% and 40.2%, respectively. The distribution of the circadian typology differed significantly among the college students with different dry eye severities ( χ 2 = 59.44, P = 0. 000), and E-type was associated with the most severe dry eye symptoms. The OSDI and PSQI scores were both significantly different among college students with different chronotypes (F = 22.14, P = 0.000; F = 15.21, P = 0.000; respectively). For both scores, the E-type scored the highest, followed by N-type, and M-type was the lowest. The circadian typology was an independent factor for dry eye. The risk of E-Type was 6.99 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000), and the risk of N-types was 3.23 times higher than that of M-Type (P = 0.000). Sleep quality was also an independent risk factor for dry eye (P = 0.000). Gender and awareness of dry eye were not risk factors for dry eye. Conclusion The severity of dry eye symptoms and sleep quality were associated with different circadian typologies. The more the circadian preference tended to be E-type, the worse the sleep quality and the more serious dry eye symptoms would appear.

Factors associated with sleep disorders among university students in Jiangsu Province: a cross-sectional study

“…This study revealed that 39.30% of the participants experienced poor sleep quality as determined by the PSQI scale with a critical (40), and a study conducted in Beijing in 2021 identified a prevalence of 53.2% (41). Meanwhile, a survey conducted in Changsha reported that only 9.8% of university students suffer from sleep disorders (42), suggesting a substantial variation.…”