Impact of Dry Eye Disease on Work Productivity Among Saudi Workers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the impact of dry eye disease (DED) on work productivity in Saudi Arabia and investigate its effect on daily activities.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study on male and female Saudi workers age 20 years or older. The data were collected via self-administered questionnaires distributed electronically through social media. We used the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire to diagnose DED patients and assess their DED severity as mild, moderate, and severe.

Results

A total of 463 respondents qualified for the study. All patients in the DED groups reported a loss of work productivity. Most patients in the severe DED group (59%) reported difficulty focusing on work due to DED, whereas 17.1% of patients with mild DED and 22.7% with moderate DED reported the same. These findings indicate significantly worsening productivity as DED progresses in severity (p<0.05). Participants with severe DED reported significantly more affected work hours weekly (35.8%) than participants with moderate (6.1%) and mild DED (7.1%).

Conclusion

DED has a significant impact on work productivity, with the most pronounced effect among office workers. It is essential to screen office workers for DED and enhance the awareness of its effect on work productivity among the workforce and healthcare providers.

Keywords:

• dry eye syndrome
• work performance
• office worker
• presenteeism
• occupation

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

The abstract of this paper was presented at the Annual Research Symposium in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, as a poster presentation with interim findings.