Prevalence of and risk factors for Campylobacter spp. contamination of broiler chicken carcasses at the slaughterhouse

A study was conducted in 2008 to estimate the prevalence and identify the risk factors for Campylobacter spp. contamination of broiler carcasses during the slaughtering process. A pool of 10 caeca and one carcass were collected from 425 batches of broiler chickens slaughtered in 58 French slaughterhouses over a 12-month period. Potential risk factors were identified according to the Campylobacter contamination status of carcasses and processing variables identified from questionnaires. The statistical analysis took into account confounding factors that have already been associated with the presence of Campylobacter on carcasses such as the slaughter age of the chicken or seasonal variations. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 77.2% of caeca (95% CI 73.2 to 81.2) and from 87.5% of carcasses (95% CI 84.4 to 90.7). A multiple logistic regression showed 4 parameters as significant risk factors (p < 0.05) for contamination: (I) batches were not the first to be slaughtered in the logistic schedule (OR = 3.5), (II) temperature in the evisceration room was higher than 15 °C (OR = 3.1), (III) dirty marks on carcasses after evisceration were visible (OR = 2.6) and (IV) previous thinning of the flocks, from which slaughtered batches came, had occurred at the farm (OR = 3.3). This last result highlighted the need for sanitary precautions to be taken when catching birds for transport. At the slaughterhouse, evisceration seemed to be the operation contributing most to the spread of contamination. Effective risk management solutions could include the systematic external rinsing of carcasses after evisceration and the implementation of slaughtering schedules according to the Campylobacter contamination status of flocks.     

Prevalence and risk factors of symptomatic dry eye disease in Lebanon

PurposeTo estimate the prevalence of symptomatic dry eye disease (DED) and investigate its associated risk factors in the Lebanese population.MethodsPopulation-based cross-sectional study of 602 participants from Lebanon aged 18 years and older. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire on dry eye symptoms was used to evaluate the prevalence of symptomatic DED. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between DED status and risk factors such as age, gender and smoking tobacco.ResultsThe percentage of DED among the study population (271 males and 331 females) was 36.4% with OSDI score ≥ 13 (mild to moderate and severe OSDI status). The most reported DED symptom in the population was sensitivity to light. Smokers reported higher DED symptoms than non-smokers. Older and smoker populations were more likely to report significantly higher OSDI scores (p < 0.05). Moreover, gender was not statistically associated with DED (p > 0.05).ConclusionSymptomatic DED is substantial in Lebanon. It is statistically associated with the age of population and their tobacco exposure.     

Risk factors influencing bruising and high muscle pH in Colombian cattle carcasses due to transport and pre-slaughter operations

The aim of this study was investigate risk factors as possible causes for bruising and high muscle pH under commercial operating conditions in Colombia. Data was recorded for 86 journeys referring to 1179 animals. Carcasses were analyzed in terms of muscle pH and bruises (site, size, severity and shape). Our results indicate that truck load density, stops during transportation of cattle and the lairage time at the plant increased the risk of bruises appearing on carcasses. A lairage time of 18 to 24 h at the plant increased the prevalence of bruises 2.1 times compared to lairage periods of between 12 and 18 h. Furthermore, intermittent stops during transit are a risk factor for the increase in the incidence of bruises. However, the transport time (up to 4 h) was not related to the presence of bruises and high muscle pH. Finally, steers were found to have less risk of presenting a high muscle pH.     

The production and microbiological status of skin-on sheep carcasses

There is a demand by certain ethnic consumer groups in the United Kingdom for skin-on, singed carcasses, primarily from older sheep, but their production is illegal under current EU legislation. The aim of this study was to devise a protocol to produce carcasses having the desired ‘smoked’ colour and odour and an acceptable microbiology. A successful result could form the basis of a case to revise the legislation. Three key steps in the selected procedure were carcass singeing using specially designed gas burner equipment, pressure washing to clean the carcass and then evisceration. It was shown that a second heat application, termed ‘toasting’, if applied after evisceration, significantly (P < 0.001) reduced Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts on carcasses before chilling. Microbiological quality was also improved when toasting was the final step, following carcass splitting and inspection. Carcasses produced in this way had significantly (P < 0.001) lower Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts before chilling than conventionally dressed sheep carcasses produced in the same abattoir.     

Campylobacter contamination in broiler carcasses and correlation with slaughterhouses operational hygiene inspection

This study investigates factors associated with Campylobacter contamination of broiler carcasses, using survey data collected from nine Belgian slaughterhouses in 2008 in accordance with a European Union baseline study. Campylobacter were detected in 51.9% (202/389) (95% confidence interval, 46.8%-56.9%) of broiler carcasses. Campylobacter concentration was <10 CFU/g in 49.6% of carcasses, while 20.6% were contaminated with ≥1000 CFU/g. The mean Campylobacter concentration, as calculated by maximum likelihood estimation for left-censored data, was 1.8 log₁₀ CFU/g, with a standard deviation of 1.9 log₁₀ CFU/g. There was statistically significant variation among slaughterhouses in prevalence and concentrations of Campylobacter in their sampled carcasses. Campylobacter prevalence (but not concentrations) was positively associated with increase in broilers age. Both Campylobacter prevalence and concentration were significantly higher in carcasses sampled during June and September (but not in July and August) than carcasses sampled in January. We also investigated the correlation (Spearman’s rank correlation test) between the scores of official control inspections and Campylobacter prevalence for eight out of the nine slaughterhouses. The control inspections were routinely performed by the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, and the concluded inspection scores were used as a general numerical indicator for the status of operational hygiene and quality of management in the slaughterhouses. Ranking of slaughterhouses based on their inspection scores was statistically correlated (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.857) with their ranking based on prevalence of Campylobacter. In the present study we demonstrate how the outcomes from a routine baseline survey could be coupled with other readily available data from national control authorities in order to enable a better insight over Campylobacter contamination status in broiler slaughterhouses. Findings from this work call for subsequent in-depth investigations on technical and hygiene management factors that could impact Campylobacter contamination across broiler slaughterhouses.     

Prevalence and risk factors for postpartum anovulatory condition in dairy cows

The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence of the anovulatory condition within a temperate region of North America and identify cow-level and herd-level risk factors for this condition. A total of 1,341 cows from 18 herds were classified as cycling or anovular based on skim milk progesterone concentration determined at 46 and 60 ± 7 d in milk. Calving history, periparturient disease incidence, body condition score, milk ketone concentration in the first 2 wk of lactation, and first 305-d mature-equivalent milk projections were recorded. Reproductive and culling information was retrieved monthly from the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. The cow-level prevalence of anovulation was 19.5%, with a herd-specific range from 5 to 45%. Accounting for the effect of clustering at the herd level, cows experiencing a difficult calving, cows with twin calvings, displaced abomasum, and cows with subclinical ketosis in the first week after calving were at greater risk for diagnosis of anovulation. Anovular cows within herds using ovulation synchronization programs were inseminated at the same time postpartum with a 6-percentage point reduction in the probability of pregnancy relative to cycling herdmates (29.7 vs. 35.9%, respectively), whereas anovular cows in herds breeding based on observed estrus were inseminated 8 d later and suffered a 10-percentage point reduction in the probability of pregnancy at first insemination (20.3 vs. 30.5). Time to pregnancy was delayed in anovular cows by 30 d (156 vs. 126 d). Using survival analysis, the impact of anovulation decreased with time. The daily probability of pregnancy (hazard ratio) was similar to cycling cows by 165 d in milk. The results underline the important associations of peripartum health with reproductive function and performance.     

Prevalence and risk factors for udder cleft dermatitis in dairy cattle

Udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) is a skin lesion in dairy cattle mostly located at the anterior junction between the udder and the abdominal wall or between the front quarters. Relatively little is known about causative factors for UCD, and few studies have investigated prevalence and risk factors of UCD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of UCD in a random sample of dairy herds with freestalls and milking parlors in a county of Sweden. Thirty dairy herds participated in the study. Each herd was visited once at milking, when every third cow was investigated for presence of UCD. Associations between UCD and milk production, breed, parity, days in milk, claw health, and udder health on the herd and cow levels were also investigated. In addition, a case-control study was performed in 6 herds with a high prevalence of UCD to investigate associations between udder conformation or mange and UCD. Udder cleft dermatitis was found in 18.4% of the 1,084 cows included in the study. The within-herd cow prevalence varied between zero and 39%, with an average of 18.5%. Risk factors for UCD at the herd level were a high proportion of Swedish Red cows and a high production level. At the cow level, breed, parity, and production level were identified as risk factors. The highest risk of having UCD was found in high-producing Swedish Red cows that had calved at least 3 times. Veterinary-treated clinical mastitis was associated with UCD, but cow composite somatic cell count was not. A strong anterior udder attachment was a protective factor, but signs of mange had no association with UCD. The primary cause of UCD is still unclear, and more research is needed to identify the best ways to prevent the development of this animal welfare problem.     

The concentrations of some hormones and growth factors in bovine and human colostrums: Short communication

This study compared different levels of certain hormones and growth factors between bovine and human colostrums. Colostrums were collected from seven Holstein cows and seven healthy humans. Prolactin, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) had higher levels in human colostrums over the 3 days. A higher level of platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) was found in bovine colostrums on day three; estradiol had higher levels on day three in both human and bovine colostrums. To minimise the differences of active components’ concentrations between these two types of colostrums, prolactin, EGF and NGF should be considered for addition into bovine colostrum products.     

猪胴体预冷过程中雾化增湿与喷淋对干耗的影响差异性研究

本研究对比了雾化增湿与雾化喷淋两种方式对猪胴体预冷干耗的影响。采用超声雾化加湿器来增加预冷环境湿度方式以及气液两相流间歇雾化喷淋的方式分别对猪胴体样品进行预冷处理,以直接冷却猪胴体样品为对照组。实验结果表明:雾化增湿组样品最终平均干耗为1.442%,经14 h雾化喷淋处理的各样品继续冷却至24 h后测得最终平均干耗为1.066%,对照组实验样品最终平均干耗为2.914%。雾化喷淋冷却处理与雾化增湿冷却处理均可使猪胴体冷却速度加快(p<0.05)。雾化喷淋冷却处理与雾化增湿冷却处理均可有效缩短样品干耗达到峰值的时间(p<0.05),其达到峰值时间关系为:雾化喷淋组<雾化增湿组<对照组。雾化喷淋冷却处理与雾化增湿冷却处理均可显著降低猪胴体预冷干耗(p<0.05);雾化喷淋冷却处理比雾化增湿冷却处理降低干耗效果更为理想(p<0.05)。      

Prevalence of and risk factors for Listeria species on dairy farms

This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of Listeria spp. in bulk-tank milk on dairy farms in the region of Galicia in northwest Spain. The aim was to identify management practices associated with the presence of Listeria spp. and possible effects on milk hygienic quality. A total of 98 farms was randomly selected on the basis of an expected prevalence of 6.5% for Listeria monocytogenes from 20,107 dairy farms in the region. Bulk-tank milk samples were obtained from 98 farms, fecal samples from lactating cows from 97 farms, and silage samples from 83 farms. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 6.1, 9.3, and 6.0% of these samples, respectively. Statistical analyses confirmed the relationship between low silage quality (as indicated by high pH) and presence of Listeria spp. in silage (29.5 vs. 6.2% for pH above or below 4.5, respectively). Only milking system [tie-stall systems (28.6%) vs. parlor milking (10%)] and inadequately controlled milking order [yes (32.0%) vs. no (10.7%)] had statistically significant effects on management practices for increasing the risk of Listeria contamination of bulk-tank milk.     

Temperature and bacterial profile of post chill poultry carcasses stored in processing combo held at room temperature

Post chill whole poultry carcasses from a commercial processing plant were stored in a processing combo at room temperature (70 °F/21 °C) for 54 h to mimic the scenario of temperature abuse before further processing. Temperature data were collected in 1-min intervals and averaged each hour by 9 temperature data loggers. Two linear regressions were developed for the combo and internal breast temperature and slopes were nearly identical. Microbial data was collected by performing whole bird carcass rinses that were enumerated for aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and total coliform. Samples were collected from the chiller chute at time zero for initial bacterial counts. Carcass sampling continued once the internal breast temperature achieved 45 °F (7 °C 10 h) and continued every 2 h until the final internal breast temperature was 63 °F (17 °C 54 h). Linear regressions were developed for the first 26 h, which exhibited no statistically significant growth except for Enterobacteriaceae. A 2nd linear regression (28 to 54 h) exhibited significant growth for all analyses. Overall, APC increased from a log(10) colony forming unit (CFU)/mL count of 2.86 to 7.02, Enterobacteriaceae increased from 0.66 to 6.64, coliform increased from 0.72 to 4.81, and E. coli increased from 0.53 to 4.45. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was performed to detect changes in the bacterial populations, which indicated 95% similarity within sampled groups, but the overall percent similarity among samples collected over 54 h was 8%. From the data, microbial growth demonstrates a period of 26 h for minimal growth; therefore, the product could be further processed rather than designated as waste.     

Potential public health risk due to consumption of contaminated bovine milk with aflatoxin M1 and Coxiella burnetii in the West of Iran

This study aimed to evaluate the probable public health hazard imposed by bovine milk in relation to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and Coxiella burnetii in the West of Iran. The assessment of AFM1, using an ELISA test, indicated 62.22% and 21.11% of 45 samples of raw and pasteurised milk were above the permissible content of Codex and Iranian standard levels, respectively. Further, anti‐C. burnetii antibody was detected in 63.04% of bulk tank milk samples, with six samples harbouring the bacterial genome. High AFM1 contamination levels and an endemic pattern of Q fever warrant continuous surveillance programmes in the studied region.     

Diversity and assessment of potential risk factors of Gram-negative isolates associated with French cheeses

The goal of this study was to identify at the species level a large collection of Gram-negative dairy bacteria isolated from milks or semi-hard and soft, smear-ripened cheeses (cheese core or surface samples) from different regions of France. The isolates were then assessed for two risk factors, antibiotic resistance and volatile and non-volatile biogenic amine production in vitro. In total, 173 Gram-negative isolates were identified by rrs and/or rpoB gene sequencing. A large biodiversity was observed with nearly half of all Gram-negative isolates belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Overall, 26 different genera represented by 68 species including potential new species were identified among the studied Gram-negative isolates for both surface and milk or cheese core samples. The most frequently isolated genera corresponded to Pseudomonas, Proteus, Psychrobacter, Halomonas and Serratia and represented almost 54% of the dairy collection. After Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, Enterobacter and Stenotrophomonas were the most frequently isolated genera found in cheese core and milk samples while Proteus, Psychrobacter, Halomonas and Serratia were the most frequently isolated genera among surface samples. Antibiotic resistance profiles indicated that resistances to the aminosid, imipemen and quinolon were relatively low while more than half of all tested isolates were resistant to antibiotics belonging to the monobactam, cephem, fosfomycin, colistin, phenicol, sulfamid and some from the penam families. Thirty-six% of isolates were negative for in vitro biogenic amine production. Among biogenic amine-producers, cadaverine was the most frequently produced followed by isoamylamine, histamine and putrescine. Only low levels (<75 mg/l) of tyramine were detected in vitro.     

北京市顺义区零售鸡胴体中弯曲菌分布与分子特征研究

目的研究北京市顺义区鸡胴体中弯曲菌分布和分子特征,为顺义区弯曲菌防控提供科学依据。方法采集批发市场和零售店鸡胴体60份,采用滤膜法分离培养弯曲菌,对分离菌株进行多位点序列分型分析并构建最小生成树。结果鸡胴体中弯曲菌检出率为75.0%(45/60),空肠弯曲菌与结肠弯曲菌占比分别为38.0%(19/50)和62.0%(31/50)。批发市场和零售店弯曲菌检出率分别为86.0%(37/43)和47.1%(8/17),差异有统计学意义(χ~2=9.877,P0.05);5～7月空肠弯曲菌检出率分别为10.0%(2/20)、40.0%(8/20)和45.0%(9/20),差异有统计学意义(χ~2=6.624,P0.05)。19株空肠弯曲菌共分为13个ST型;28株结肠弯曲菌共分为16个ST型。空肠弯曲菌耐药率前五位由高至低依次为四环素(100.0%,19/19)、萘啶酸(100.0%,19/19)、环丙沙星(94.7%,18/19)、氟苯尼考(57.9%,11/19)、庆大霉素(36.8%,7/19);结肠弯曲菌耐药率前五位由高至低依次为萘啶酸(100.0%,31/31)、环丙沙星(100.0%,31/31)、四环素(93.5%, 29/31)、链霉素(93.5%, 29/31)、庆大霉素(83.9%,26/31)。空肠弯曲菌和结肠弯曲菌多重耐药率分别为68.4%(13/19)和93.5%(29/31)。结论北京市顺义区市场零售鸡胴体中弯曲菌污染水平较高,结肠弯曲菌为污染的优势菌种。批发市场鸡胴体污染弯曲菌的情况比零售店严重。     

浅析我国食品安全的风险因素与责任主体

食品安全问题一直是世界关注的焦点问题,食品安全与风险总是协调统一、动态存在的。目前,我国食品安全的监管工作更侧重于风险监测,只有正确识别、监测、评估和预防风险,才能将食品安全事件扼制在初始状态。本文通过近几年发生的食品安全事件识别出我国食品安全主要的风险因素,找到可能引起风险的责任主体,并将责任主体划分为人、物和管理3个方面。从分析中可以得出人的不安全行为是食品安全的首要风险,人的因素是第一责任主体。最后列举出我国辨析食品安全责任主体的3处难点:责任主体及责任大小较难界定、监管权限分工不明和掺杂感情因素。     

Farm-level risk factors for bovine mastitis in Dutch automatic milking dairy herds

Automatic milking systems (AMS) are installed on a growing number of dairy farms worldwide. Management to support good udder health might be different on farms with an AMS compared with farms milking with a conventional milking system, as risk factors for mastitis on farms using an AMS may differ. The aim of this study was to identify farm level factors associated with mastitis on Dutch dairy farms using an AMS. In 2008, risk factor data were collected using a questionnaire combined with on-farm recordings of cow, stall, and AMS hygiene on 135 farms. These risk factor data were linked to 4 udder-health-associated dependent variables: average herd somatic cell count (HeSCCav), variance of the average herd somatic cell count (SCC) on test days (HeSCCvar), the average proportion of new high SCC cases (NHiSCC), and the farmer-reported annual incidence rate of clinical mastitis (IRCM). We employed regression models using multiple imputation to deal with missing values. Due to the high dimensionality of the risk factor data, we also performed nonlinear principal component analysis (NLPCA) and regressed the dependent variables on the principal components (PC). Good hygiene of cows and of AMS were found to be related to a lower HeSCCav and less NHiSCC. Effective postmilking teat disinfection was associated with a lower NHiSCC. A higher bulk tank milk SCC threshold for farmers' action was related to more NHiSCC. Larger farm size was related to lower HeSCCvar but higher NHiSCC. Negative attitude of farmers to animal health, higher frequency of checking AMS, and more time spent on viewing computer data were all positively related to higher IRCM. An NLPCA with 3 PC explained 16.3% of the variance in the risk factor variables. Only the first 2 PC were associated with mastitis. The first PC reflected older and larger farms with poor cow hygiene and AMS hygiene, and was related to higher HeSCCav and NHiSCC, whereas the second PC reflected newly built smaller farms with poor cow hygiene and low milk production, and was associated with higher HeSCCvar and NHiSCC, but lower IRCM. Our study suggests that many of the risk factors on conventional milking system farms are applicable to AMS farms, specifically concerning hygiene of the cows and the milking machine, but on large AMS farms, udder health may need more attention than on smaller AMS farms. Multiple imputation is instrumental to deal with missing values and NLPCA is a useful technique to process high dimensional data in our study.     

Capillary electrophoresis for bovine and ostrich meat characterisation

The objective of this study was to characterise, compare and quantify the water soluble protein (WSP) and salt soluble protein (SSP) fractions from bovine and ostrich muscle by using sodium dodecyl sulphate polymer-filled capillary gel electrophoresis (CE-SDS). Samples were raw ostrich leg and eye round beef collected 24 and 48 h, respectively, after sacrifice from local slaughter houses. WSP were extracted with cold double distilled deionized water and SSP with 0.6 M NaCl/0.01 M phosphate buffer pH 6 with 0.5% polyphosphates. Separation of WSP and SSP extracts was achieved by CE-SDS. Quantitative data for individual proteins was generated by constructing a calibration curve using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a standard. The WSP profiles showed differences for bovine and ostrich meat, both qualitatively and quantitatively and could be employed for species differentiation. Quantitative data derived for WSP and SSP from bovine and ostrich muscle showed significant differences among individual proteins. A comparison of protein profiles form ostrich and bovine meat should be useful for meat species differentiation and muscle characterisation for establishing relations to meat quality.     

Estimates of dry eye disease in Saudi Arabia based on a short questionnaire of prevalence,symptoms, and risk factors: The Twaiq Mountain Eye Study I

PurposeTo estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of dry eye disease (DED) among the citizens of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional prevalence survey was administered to 4066 healthy adults from the five main regions of Saudi Arabia. Initial estimates of the prevalence and associated risk factors of DED were calculated for the general population and then stratified by demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and location. DED was assessed by a short, validated dry-eye questionnaire.ResultsThe overall prevalence of DED was 49.5 % (n = 2016), including 33.1 % (n = 1347) of participants who reported a previous DED diagnosis and 16.4 % (n = 669) who reported severe symptoms; 14.7 % reported severe symptoms and a previous DED diagnosis (n = 598). The DED prevalence among men was 49.8 % (n = 1005) compared with 50.2 % (n = 1011) for women. The multivariate model analysis confirmed the increased prevalence of DED in women (OR 1.48; 95 % CI 1.30–1.88), those ≥60 years of age (OR 1.99; 95 % CI 1.60–2.81), those who had undergone refractive surgery (OR 1.79; 95 % CI 1.50–2.59), those having undergone acne treatment (OR 1.51; 95 % CI 1.34–1.97), contact lens wearers (OR 1.77; 95 % CI 1.40–2.48), those having taken antiallergy drugs (OR 2.23; 95 % CI 1.55–2.78) or antidepressants (OR 1.60; 95 % CI 1.14–2.44), and those who reported computer use of >6 h per day (OR 1.66; 95 % CI 1.41–2.52).ConclusionDry eye is a common disease among the Saudi Arabian population. Prevalence is found to be high and vary significantly across the country. DED could be attributed to dry weather, low annual rainfall, low humidity, widespread use of air conditioners, air pollution, high temperature, and exposure to sunlight.     

Comparison of different devices for predicting the lean meat percentage of pig carcasses

Lean meat percentage (LMP) is the criterion for carcass classification and it must be measured on line objectively. The aim of this work was to compare the error of the prediction (RMSEP) of the LMP measured with the following different devices: Fat-O-Meat’er (FOM), UltraFOM (UFOM), AUTOFOM and VCS2000. For this reason the same 99 carcasses were measured using all 4 apparatuses and dissected according to the European Reference Method. Moreover a subsample of the carcasses (n = 77) were fully scanned with X-ray Computed Tomography equipment (CT). The RMSEP calculated with cross validation leave-one-out was lower for FOM and AUTOFOM (1.8% and 1.9%, respectively) and higher for UFOM and VCS2000 (2.3% for both devices). The error obtained with CT was the lowest (0.96%) in accordance with previous results, but CT cannot be used on line. It can be concluded that FOM and AUTOFOM had better accuracy than UFOM and VCS2000.     

Modifiable lifestyle risk factors for dry eye disease

PurposeTo examine the association between modifiable lifestyle factors and dry eye disease.MethodsThree hundred and twenty-two community residents (186 females, 136 males; mean ± SD age, 41 ± 22 years) with no major systemic or ophthalmic conditions (other than dry eye disease) were recruited in a cross-sectional study. A lifestyle factor questionnaire was administered, and dry eye symptomology, ocular surface characteristics, and tear film quality were evaluated for each participant within a single clinical session, in accordance with the global consensus recommendations of the TFOS DEWS II reports.ResultsA total of 111 (34 %) participants fulfilled the TFOS DEWS II diagnostic criteria for dry eye disease. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that advancing age, female sex, East Asian ethnicity, and increased digital screen exposure time were positive risk factors for dry eye disease (all p < 0.05), while increased caffeine consumption was a protective factor (p = 0.04).ConclusionsIncreased digital screen exposure time and reduced caffeine consumption were modifiable lifestyle factors associated with higher odds of dry eye disease. These findings might contribute to informing the design of future prospective research investigating the efficacy of preventative intervention and risk factor modification strategies.