ISSN: 2578-465X
Authors: Sahu J
Purpose: We aim to assess the prevalence of increased screen usage among Indians during lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and its associations with self-reported dry eye symptoms. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020 during the total lockdown period for containment of COVID-19 virus. 382 healthy participants facing home confinement due to lockdown were enrolled. Symptoms of dry eye and amount of screen time were assessed by means of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was freely accessible and participants were recruited by sharing the questionnaire, prepared on Google Docs, on various social networking platforms. The survey was open for responses for 3 weeks. All valid responses were tabulated and analysed using Microsoft Excel spread sheets and licensed SPSS version 26. Result: We found that about 86% of surveyed candidates reported an increase in time spent on smartphones and other video display gadgets during the lockdown. Higher prevalence rates for symptomatic dry eye were observed in individuals who reported increased daily exposure to smartphones during the lockdown as compared to those who did not (23.03% vs 9.61%; OR 2.914, 95% CI: 2.682-2.976; p<0.05). Longer daily smartphone use (>4 hours) was associated with a higher mean number of ocular symptoms (4-6 symptoms in 32.08% vs 26.06%), need of voluntary abstinence from screen (p<0.05) and the need of eye drops to feel better (p<0.05). Internal consistency was moderate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.674), indicating some variability in reporting. Conclusion: COVID-19 containing lockdown has seen society pivot from real world interactions to the online space. Recognising the collateral effects of the lockdown on screen usage and its implications on ocular health is imperative to alert the general public about such hazards.
Keywords: Higher Order Aberrations; Cataract; Refractive Lens Exchange; Congenital Lens Dysfunction; I Trace
