DRY EYE AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE KAHS STUDENTS, IIUM KUANTAN

Abstract

Introduction: Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common ocular diseases that could be caused by either a decrease in tear production and/or an increase in the tear evaporation rate. DED can cause eye irritation, grittiness, blurred vision, and light sensitivity, negatively affecting individuals' quality of life. Poor sleep quality has become a common public health issue worldwide. It is reported decreased sleep quality are highly prevalent among individuals with DED and poor sleep quality can worsen DED symptoms. Aim: The purposes of this study was to observe the prevalence of DED and poor sleep quality in a sample of university students, to investigate the relationship between sleep quality and DED and to investigate if gender leads to differences in DED and sleep quality. Methodology: This cross-sectional study involved undergraduate students from Kulliyyah of Allied Health Science (KAHS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan. Validated questionnaires, consisting of the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), were used to diagnose DED, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was utilised to assess sleeping quality. Data collection and analysis were performed using the SPSS Statistics software (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results: A total of 148 undergraduate KAHS students of IIUM Kuantan participated in the study. Approximately 63.5% of the participants had DED, and 60.1% had poor sleep quality. The relationship between DED and poor sleep quality indicated a significant positive correlation. This study also revealed that females are more prone to DED and poor sleep quality compared to males. Conclusion: This study showed that participants with DED had a greater risk of poor sleep quality compared to non-DED and vice versa. Individuals with DED should be educated about the methods to improve their sleep patterns. Intervention and awareness to achieve good sleep quality also should be advocated to alleviate the occurrence of DED.