The Prevalence of Ocular Demodex folliculorum in 2253 Young Males

Aim: To determine the prevalence and influencing factors of Demodex folliculorum (DF) in the eyelashes of healthy young males. Methods: : An epidemiological cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted. A total of 2253 healthy young males (aged 17-24 years) were studied for the presence of DF within eyelash follicles. The presence of DF was analyzed according to various factors. Results: : The total prevalence of DF was 20.73% in our study. Subjects with history of myopia correction surgery had a statistically significant increase in the positive rate of DF ( P <0.001). The positive rate was higher in subjects with ocular symptoms than in those without symptoms ( P <0.05). Factors such as the educational level, long-term residence, annual household income, sleep time, time of using electronic products, smoke and drinking habits, had no significant correlation with the DF positive rate (all P >0.05). According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the history of myopic correction surgery was the risk factors of DF infection ( P 0.05). Conclusions: The prevalence of DF in eyelash follicles in healthy young men was relatively high. The history of myopic correction surgery was an important risk factor for the infection.