• Leidiane Adriano Pereira, Laura Braga Arantes, Etiene Lorriane de Souza Persona, Denny Marcos Garcia, Isvander Gustavo de Souza Persona, Regina Celia Nucci Pontelli, and Eduardo M Rocha.
• Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, and Head & Neck Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
• Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2025 Jan 28; 80: 100578100578.

PurposeA random home visit search investigated the prevalence and predictors of Dry Eye (DE) symptoms in Brazil.MethodsThrough home visits to 420 urban and 180 rural residences in the countryside of Southeast Brazil, the Dry Eye Disease Short Questionnaire (DEDSQ) was applied to volunteers 40 years and older. The predictive value of the DEDSQ and the risk factors were investigated.ResultsDE is more frequent in the urban population (38.1 % vs. 20 %; p < 0.0001) and was higher in females (37.5 % and 21.5 %; p < 0.0001). In the urban area, DE is associated with dyslipidemia (p < 0.0001), visual display terminal use > 2 h/day (p < 0.0001), and pterygium (p < 0.001), and in the rural area with dyslipidemia (p < 0.01) and prior ocular surgery (p < 0.05). In women, the predictors are antiallergics, chronic pelvic pain, fibromyalgia, and visual display terminal use > 2h/day. Aging was associated with distinct risk factors. DEDSQ showed 78.5 % of sensitivity and 71.1 % specificity.ConclusionThis first domiciliary study in Brazil reveals that DE symptoms were more prevalent in the urban area and among women. DE has distinct risk factors and a high prevalence in Brazil.Copyright © 2025 HCFMUSP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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