A Comparative Assessment of Dry Eye Disease Among Outdoor Street Sweepers and Indoor Office Cleaners
Abstract Background:Occupational predisposition to dry eye disease is known. Simultaneous exposure to multiple factors may pose more risk. Street sweepers are exposed to sunlight in addition to dust which all sweepers are exposed to. This study aims to assess the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) amongst Street sweepers and Office cleaners in Calabar metropolis.Methods:A cross sectional study was conducted among street sweepers and office cleaners. A systematic random sampling and multi-stage sampling method was used to select street sweepers (n=115) and office cleaners (n=115) respectively for the study. A pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain information after which the respondents had an ophthalmic examination. An assessment of DED was done with Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, Schirmer’s test and tear break up time (TBUT).Results:Majority of respondents were females 215(93.5%) compared to males 15 (6.5%). The overall mean age of respondents was 40.96 ± 9.8 years. The prevalence of DED among Street sweepers was 35.7% compared to 20% among office cleaners using the OSDI questionnaire. The prevalence of DED among street sweepers was 32.2% compared to 30.4% among Office cleaners using the Schirmer’s test. The TBUT reported a prevalence of 38.3% of DED among Street sweepers compared to 32.2% in Office cleaners.Conclusion:This study concluded that street sweepers had higher odds of developing dry eye disease compared to office cleaners. This effect is possibly due to synergy of factors. Studies on dose response are warranted. Strict use of protective gears that protect from multiple risk factors are recommended.