Association between video display terminal use and dry eye disease in school children

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors of dry eye disease in school children associated with video display terminal use. Methods: Two-hundred eighty-eight children were classified in either a dry eye disease group or control group according to the diagnostic criteria of dry eye disease. The results of ocular examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, and tear break-up time, were compared between groups. The results of questionnaires concerning video display terminal use and ocular symptoms were also compared. Results: Twenty-eight children were included in the dry eye disease group and 260 children were included in the control group. Gender and best-corrected visual acuity were not significantly different between the two groups. Smartphone use was more common in the dry eye disease group (71%) than the control group (50%) (P = .036). The daily duration of smartphone use and total daily duration of video display terminal use were associated with increased risk of dry eye disease (P = .027 and .001, respectively), but the daily duration of computer and television use did not increase the risk of dry eye disease (P = .677 and .052, respectively). Conclusions: The results showed that smartphone use is an important dry eye disease risk factor in children. Close observation and caution regarding video display terminal use, especially smartphones, are needed for children.