Prevalence of dry eye disease in Ontario, Canada: A population-based survey

Purpose: Population-based cross-sectional survey in Ontario to estimate the 2016 prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) and associated risk factors among adults in Canada. Methods: We emailed the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) to 124,469 Ontario adults (age ≥18 years) in the IQVIA E360 database, March–April 2017. Inclusion criteria were: ≥2 visits to an Ontario based clinic, ≥1 visits in the 1 year before the study; database record with email. DED was defined as a DEQ-5 score of >6/22. The crude prevalence by age/sex of the Ontario sample was adjusted to the 2016 Canadian population (mean age 41.0 years, 51% female). Significance of DED risk factors (age, sex, selected diseases/medical conditions and medications) was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 5163 (4.1%) patients who completed the survey (59.5% female, median age, 46 years; 40.4% male, 56 years), 1135 respondents reported DED. Prevalence increased with age (p 6 million Canadian adults may have DED, and that older people and females are more likely to be affected. © 2019 The Authors