Abstract: Objective To obtain the prevalence of the dry eye syndrome among young students in China by using meta-analysis method,provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of dry eye syndrome. Methods The cross-sectional surveys on dry eye syndrome among young students in China were searched on domestic and international databases,such as CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,Readshow,CBM,web of science,PubMed,Springer link and Elsevier,and supplemented by retrospective references. The search time period was from database creation to March 2022. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were strictly defined,and the combined prevalence of dry eye syndrome was calculated using a random utility model with R software,and subgroup analysis was performed to explore sources of heterogeneity by gender,diagnosis criteria,region,and school segment. The sensitivity analysis was used to test the robustness of the results,and funnel plots,Begg's rank correlation test,and Egger regression analysis were used to test for publication bias. Results Totally 22 publications were finally included,with a total sample size of 30 139 students and 9 453 patients with dry eye syndrome. The meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of dry eye syndrome among young students in China was 29.25% and 95%CI was 22.69%-37.71%. The subgroup analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the prevalence between different regions and diagnostic criteria,while the differences were not statistically significant between different grades and gendersConclusion s The prevalence of dry eye syndrome among young students in China is comparatively high,and higher than the worldwide average prevalence. The results of the meta-analysis of single-group rates are reliable,requiring active strategies to enhance the early prevention of dry eye syndrome in young students.

Key words: Dry eye syndrome, Prevalence, Young students