# The Association Between Dry Eye Disease Symptoms, Digital Device Types, and Screen Distance Among Health Science Students: A Survey‐Based Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how screen distance and device use affect dry eye symptoms in Saudi female health science students.

## Contribution

It identifies screen distance as a significant factor in dry eye disease symptoms among this specific student population.

## Key findings

- Short screen distances (25 cm) correlate with increased dry eye symptoms.
- Most students use devices for over 5 hours daily, with tablets being common.
- Dryness and burning sensations were the most reported eye symptoms.

## Abstract

Electronic devices play a significant role in enhancing the educational experience for students, including those in the health sciences. However, the misuse and overuse of electronic devices can lead to vision health problems. This study aims to investigate the relationship between electronic device types, electronic device screen distance, and dry eye disease (DED) symptoms in female medical students in Saudi Arabia.

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted on 260 female health sciences students at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSUA‐HS), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who voluntarily participated online between October 2022 and January 2023. We collected data on electronic device variables and DED symptoms.

Of the 260 participants, 60% (n = 157) were aged between 18 and 20; 39% (n = 101) were between 21 and 25; and 1% (n = 2) were aged 26 and above. Approximately 75.8% of respondents used electronic devices for more than 5 h/day, 65% used tablets, and 51.5% kept a distance of 25 cm from the screen. The reported highest eye symptoms were dryness (8.5%), burning sensation (7.3%), blurring of vision, and watering and tearing of the eyes (6.2%). The difference in the survey parameters was only significantly related to screen distance at 50–100 cm with DED symptoms.

The short screen distance of electronic devices has a significant impact on increasing the DED symptoms among female healthcare students who use electronic devices in Saudi Arabia. This study provides insight into the use of electronic devices to improve diagnostic and preventive strategies for DED symptoms.