Eye Care Service Utilization among Health Workers in Mercy Hospital, Abak

Background: The assessment of the level of and barriers to utilization of eye care services is paramount in combating visual impairment and blindness which are major health problems worldwide.

Objectives: To determine the level of utilization and barriers to utilization of eye care services among health workers at a mission hospital in a rural community in southern Nigeria.

Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. Ethical approval was obtained and 82 consecutive consenting health workers were selected. Data were obtained using a pre tested structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was made up of two sections, A and B. Section A was used to collect the demographic data of the participants while section B was used to collect data on utilization and barriers to utilization of eye care services. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21.0.

Results: Of the 82 health workers interviewed, 29(35.4%) were males and 53(64.6%) females. The age range was from 20 to 75 years and the mean age was 35.6 years. Of the 27 (32.9%) that have had eye disorders in the past, only 12 (14.6%) consulted an Ophthalmologist, 8 (9.8%) consulted an Optometrist, 2 (2.4%) used traditional eye medication while 5 (6.1%) sought no treatment at all. Regarding the utilization of eye care services, only 28 (34.1%) has ever consulted the hospital Ophthalmologist for routine eye check. Barriers to utilization of eye care services noted were absence of eye disease, cost and time. The effects of knowledge of eye diseases and education on utilization were statistically significant (p = 0.04 and 0.01 respectively). Duration of service was found not to positively influence utilization of eye care services.

Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that longer exposure to eye care services does not translate to better utilization of the services. Formal education as well as eye health education will go a long way to improving utilization of eye health services.