ARVO 2026: Contact lens wear increasing among university students, study suggests

Regina Morales-Reyes from the Universidad de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, detailed a poster presentation she gave at ARVO 2026. Her poster, titled “Ten-Year Change in Contact Lens Use Prevalence and Its Determinants in University Students: A Comparison of 2015 and 2025 Cohorts,” focuses on contact lens use among university students, comparing 2 cohorts a decade apart—2015 and 2025—to identify trends and associated ocular health behaviors.

Morales-Reyes explained that the study populations were drawn from university students at her home institution, including a substantial proportion from the MBBS program, which she notes is comparable to an MD program in the US. The first cohort, from 2015, comprised 823 students, while the second, from 2025, included 782 students. By examining these 2 groups, the researchers aimed to understand how patterns of contact lens wear have evolved over time in a relatively similar academic and demographic environment.

A key finding of the research is that contact lens use tripled among university students over the study period. This indicates a marked increase in the adoption of contact lenses as a form of refractive correction within a single decade. Morales-Reyes also highlighted a gender difference, observing that female students use contact lenses more frequently than male students. This aligns with broader patterns often reported in the literature, although the transcript does not delve into specific behavioral or cosmetic motivations.

Another notable observation is the association between contact lens use and eye drop usage. Students who wear contact lenses are more likely to use eye drops, suggesting a possible link with symptoms such as dryness or discomfort. However, Morales-Reyes explicitly acknowledged that causality remains unclear: it is not known whether contact lens wear leads to increased eye drop use, or whether individuals already experiencing ocular surface issues are more inclined to adopt both contact lenses and eye drops.

The study raises multiple hypotheses and avenues for further research. Morales-Reyes mentioned screen time, near work, smoking, genetic factors, and increasing myopia as potential contributors to both higher contact lens use and ocular surface symptoms. She also points to the need to explore dry eye disease in contact lens wearers, the impact of lifestyle changes over the decade, and the broader public health implications of rising contact lens adoption in young adults. Ultimately, she considers the most meaningful outcome of the research to be the clear documentation of a substantial rise in contact lens use, which provides a foundation for future studies on etiology, prevention, and optimized eye care strategies for university populations.