A Follow-up Study on Visual Display Terminal Use and Dry Eye Disease in the Beijing Adult Dry Eye Cohort Study (ADEC)

Objective: To investigate the association between visual display terminal (VDT) usage frequency and the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED), ocular surface signs, and their trends over a 1-year follow-up among adults in Beijing. Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited 1040 adults(393 males, 647 females; mean age 54.72 ± 17.993 years. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their VDT usage frequency: high-frequency(T1), medium-frequency(T2)and low-frequency(T3). Data on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and clinical signs of DED were collected at baseline and after the 1-year follow-up. Examinations included measurements of tear meniscus height (TMH), non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), meibomian gland (MG) assessment. Results: The prevalence of DED decreased from 34.1% to 32.2% after follow-up. T1 and T2 group had a significantly higher prevalence of DED than T3 groups at both time points (P<0.001). A decreasing trend in DED prevalence was observed with reduced VDT usage. The incidence of new DED cases was 9.27%. A significant transition between DED and non-DED status occurred during the follow-up (P<0.001). NIBUT and CFS showed slight increases, MG assessment slightly decreased (P<0.05). OSDI and TMH Changes were not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: VDT usage is associated with a higher prevalence of DED. Reducing VDT usage may help lower the risk of DED.