University students fail to comply with contact lens care

Purpose: To assess the level of compliance related to contact lens (CL) wear in university students in Spain. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed to university students through their representatives to assess general demographic information, questions related to CL history, level of compliance with CL care and CLrelated complications. Results: A total of 266 participants with an average age of 22 (+/- 4.5) years completed the online questionnaire. Only 39.1 % of respondents indicated that they always replace their CLs within the recommended schedule, and 63.6 % indicated that they usually wear their CLs more hours per day than recommended. Surprisingly, 64.9 % of participants reported that they had not been informed about the potential risks of CL wear, and only 20 % indicated that they always comply with follow-up visits, whereas 42.1 % of respondents expose their CL to water frequently. Participants who received proper CL education were more likely to attend aftercare visits (X2(2) = 9.104, p < 0.05). Participants with a longer history of CL wear had a greater tendency to expose their CLs to water (X2(6) = 18.768, p < 0.05) and suffer CL-related problems (X2(3) = 12.183, p < 0.05). There was also a relationship between an increased frequency of CL exposure to water and an increased tendency to experience CL-related adverse events (X2(2) = 10.864, p < 0.05). Conclusion: A relatively high percentage of university CL wearers displayed some degree of non-compliance, which emphasises the importance of providing accurate and comprehensive CL care guidelines and attending aftercare visits to minimise potential CL-related complications. CL wearers should be provided with clear and unambiguous guidelines to avoid any exposure of CL's and CL cases to water.

Automated summary

This study assessed the level of compliance related to contact lens wear among university students in Spain. The results showed that a relatively high percentage of participants displayed some degree of non-compliance with contact lens care and wearing time. The study emphasized the importance of providing accurate and comprehensive contact lens care guidelines and attending follow-up visits.