• Khaloud Al-Marri, Maha Al-Qashoti, Hissa Al-Zoqari, Usra Elshaikh, Alya Naqadan, Raghad Saeed, Jameela Faraj, and Mujahed Shraim.
• Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Sep 24; 100 (38): e27311e27311.

BackgroundEmerging research findings suggest a potential relationship between smartphone use (SPU) and dry eye disease (DED), which has not been systematically reviewed.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to systematically review and synthesize evidence on the relationship between SPU and DED.MethodsA systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsychINFO bibliographic databases from their inception to January 15, 2021. Study screening, full-text assessment, study selection and exclusion, data extraction, and quality assessment was performed independently by at least two review authors.ResultsFour studies were included in the review (3 cross-sectional studies and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial). A narrative synthesis of findings was used due to heterogeneity among study designs and measures of association summarizing the relationship between SPU and DED. All included studies were conducted in South Korea and included school children, college students, or young adults. Three of the 4 included studies showed an association between SPU and DED.ConclusionsThere is some evidence that SPU is associated with DED. However, this evidence is limited by a small number of studies of satisfactory methodological quality. There is a great need for high-quality studies to further investigate the relationship between SPU and DED and identify mechanisms underlying this potential relationship. This information is important for raising public awareness about the negative effect of SPU on eye health and development of clinical guidelines for this potentially emerging SPU-driven eye condition.Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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