{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T19:04:10Z","timestamp":1772132650793,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772064000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aims to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic Dry Eye Disease (DED) and its associated risk factors among university students in the UAE.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 654 participants using the validated Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, distributed via an online Google survey. The survey assessed the prevalence of DED along with demographic and behavioral-cultural risk factors. Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to analyze group differences. Spearman\u2019s rank correlation evaluated associations between OSDI scores and quantitative variables.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study revealed significant gender differences, with females reporting higher OSDI scores than males. Smoking behaviors were strongly associated with OSDI scores, with daily smokers and those smoking in indoor environments. Among smoking types, Dokha and Mouassal waterpipe users exhibited the highest median OSDI scores. Eye cosmetic practices with users of shorter annual usage reported higher scores, while effective cleansing methods, such as soap and water or cleansing creams, were associated with lower scores. Prolonged screen time and extended study hours were positively correlated with OSDI scores.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Symptomatic DED is highly prevalent among UAE university students. These findings underscore the need for targeted awareness and prevention strategies to mitigate DED risk factors within this population.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0343508","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T18:22:29Z","timestamp":1772130149000},"page":"e0343508","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Behavioral and cultural determinants of symptomatic dry eye disease among university students in the UAE"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9606-1577","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mona","family":"Aridi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nisreen","family":"Alwan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6933-2394","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Wissam","family":"Ghach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0343508.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"802","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtos.2017.08.003","article-title":"The Ocular Surface TFOS DEWS II Report Executive Summary","volume":"15","author":"JP Craig","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ocul Surf"},{"key":"pone.0343508.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"334","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtos.2017.05.003","article-title":"TFOS DEWS II Epidemiology Report","volume":"15","author":"F Stapleton","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ocul Surf"},{"key":"pone.0343508.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3851","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTH.S385040","article-title":"Prevalence and Behavioral-Based Risk Factors (Eye Cosmetic and Tobacco Use) of Symptomatic Dry Eye Disease in Four Middle Eastern Countries: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine","author":"W Ghach","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin Ophthalmol"},{"key":"pone.0343508.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTO.S150926","article-title":"Investigating the effect of eye cosmetics on the tear film: current insights","volume":"10","author":"MT Wang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Optom (Auckl)"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0343508.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"615","DOI":"10.1001\/archopht.118.5.615","article-title":"Reliability and validity of the Ocular Surface Disease Index","volume":"118","author":"RM Schiffman","year":"2000","journal-title":"Arch Ophthalmol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0343508.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1080\/09273940701486803","article-title":"Ocular surface disease index for the diagnosis of dry eye syndrome","volume":"15","author":"F Ozcura","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ocul Immunol Inflamm"},{"key":"pone.0343508.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2427","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTH.S474832","article-title":"Environmental and occupational triggers of dry eye symptoms in the Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study","author":"SK Al-Dossary","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin Ophthalmol"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0343508.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1458","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60091458","article-title":"Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Disease: Considerations for Clinical Management","volume":"60","author":"AC Britten-Jones","year":"2024","journal-title":"Medicina (Kaunas)"},{"key":"pone.0343508.ref009","unstructured":"World Health Organization. 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