Assessment of Dry Eye Symptoms and Quality of Sleep in Engineering Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

To assess dry eye symptoms (DES) and quality of sleep in engineering students during the Covid19 pandemic lockdown and also to assess the association between DES and sleep quality. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 396 engineering students studying in Saveetha engineering college. The study tool used was a semi-structured google form questionnaire designed for assessing digital device usage, symptoms of dry eye disease and sleep pattern. Responses were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Overall 64.1% attained a score of more than 10, indicating the presence of DES. 70.2% of the study population used digital screens for more than 13 hours. A statistically significant association was found between increased screen time and presence of DES(p<0.05). 64.9% had a score of >18 indicating reduced sleep quality. About 77.1% of the students with DES had reduced sleep quality, and a significant association (p<0.01) was observed between the two. During the Covid19 pandemic lockdown, there appears to be rising prevalence of DES in student population, one of the reasons being increased screen time. The sleep quality was also found to be reduced, and a significant association was found between DES and sleep quality.