Epidemiology of ocular surface symptoms and their association with stress levels among the Gazan population in crowded shelters during the 2023 Israel war

Aljarousha M 1 , Alghamdi WM 2 , Che Azemin MZ 3 , Mahmud M 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Optometry, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management and Science University, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, Section 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: mohammed_aljarousha@msu.edu.my
  • 2 Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia; School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  • 3 Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Pahang, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Optometry, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Management and Science University, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, Section 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Cont Lens Anterior Eye, 2025 Mar 17.
PMID: 40102140 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2025.102403

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the status of ocular surface symptoms and their relationship to stress levels among the Gazan population during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved stratified sampling of participants from the four Gaza districts in Palestine. Individuals aged 18 years or older completed the Arab Ocular Surface Disease Index (Arab-OSDI) questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) to assess stress levels.

RESULTS: A total of 426 participants (238 males and 188 females) completed the Arabic versions of the OSDI and PSS-10 questionnaires. The mean Arab-OSDI score was 21, with 40.6 % of participants scoring ≥23, the threshold for moderate to severe DED symptoms. Participants with moderate or high perceived stress levels had significantly higher mean Arab-OSDI scores than individuals with low stress levels (p = 0.029). Logistic regression analysis identified age over 50 years, and the high PSS as significant factors associated with Arab-OSDI scores ≥13 (p 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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