Abstract
Purpose :
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the most common cause of dry eye, is linked to screen use and can occur in adolescents. The Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire has predictive value for MGD.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of the SPEED questionnaire for determining symptoms of dryness in middle and high school students.
Methods :
The SPEED questionnaire was administered online to middle and high school students living in a suburb of Boston, MA USA in May 2020 and June 2021.
Results :
The 2020 survey included 462 respondents (male 177, female 276, non binary 5) mean age 14.38 years (range 11-18). 38 nationalities were self-identified: White 49.94%,Asian 27.57%, all others (mixed <3%). The 2021 survey included 288 respondents (male 70, female 111, non-binary 4, preferred not to answer 1; Mean age 15.86 years(range 10-18). 14 nationalities were self-identified: White 51.1%, Asian 28.1%, African American 4.6%, all others <3%). The mean SPEED score in 2020 was 8.325 (SD 4.67; range 0-28) and the mean SPEED score in 2021 was 10.12 (SD 4.78; range 0-23). Data from the 2021 and 2022 plots were compared using the Spearman correlation test and no significant correlation was found between the two timepoints (rho=0.079).
Conclusions :
The SPEED reproducibly revealed an alarmingly high prevalence of dry eye symptoms in middle and high school students. The 2021 scores show higher frequency and severity which may be due to an additional year on screens or the one year average age difference. The use of questionnaires is an inexpensive method for dry eye screening to promote early intervention. School districts should administer validated dry eye symptom questionnaires on an annual basis.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.