To identify independent risk factors for dry eye disease (DED) and to develop and validate a predictive model for DED among myopic schoolchildren aged 8–16 years in northern China, addressing a significant public health concern.
Key Findings:
The prevalence of DED among myopic children was 31.2% based on a sample of 1,303 children.
Independent risk factors identified include Ortho-K lens use, daily screen time ≥ 4 h, near work ≥ 4 h, BMI ≥ 24, and sleep duration < 6 h.
The risk prediction nomogram demonstrated acceptable discriminative ability (AUC: 0.74 in training set, 0.70 in validation set).
Interpretation:
Dry eye disease is prevalent and often overlooked in myopic children, with significant associations to modifiable lifestyle factors and Ortho-K lens usage, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Limitations:
The study is cross-sectional, limiting causal inference.
The sample was geographically limited to northern China, which may affect generalizability.
Self-reported data from questionnaires may introduce bias.
Conclusion:
The developed nomogram can aid in early identification and intervention for high-risk myopic children, addressing a significant yet under-recognized health issue.
