Abstract
BACKGROUND Vision health affects functioning in society, and the ability to learn and work. Ophthalmic symptoms may be caused by eye diseases, but also by environmental or lifestyle factors. This online questionnaire-based survey aimed to identify the prevalence of ophthalmic symptoms in 1076 individuals in Poland, as well as to identify factors associated with the presence of ophthalmic symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS An online questionnaire-based survey was carried out in December 2022 on a representative sample of 1076 adult Poles. Non-probability quota sampling was used. Respondents were asked about the presence of 16 different eye symptoms and vision problems in the last 30 days. The presence of ophthalmic symptoms was self-declared. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS package version 28. RESULTS More than half of the respondents (57.8%) had at least 1 ophthalmic symptom in the last 30 days. Burning and stinging eyes (21.6%) and dry eyes (18.9%) were the most common ophthalmic symptoms declared by the respondents. Moreover, 21.3% of respondents reported vision deterioration in the last 30 days. Out of 10 different factors analyzed in this study, female gender, living in rural areas or small cities (below 100 000 inhabitants), living with at least 1 other person, having low economic status, having chronic diseases, and wearing spectacles/contact lenses were significantly associated (P.