Eye Health Care Utilization and Associated Factors among Adults in Jimma Town, Ethiopia. Community-based cross-sectional study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Eye health care utilization is the use or consumption of health care services, procedures, or pharmaceutical drugs for maintaining one's health and wellbeing, preventing and treating an eye health problem, or getting information about one's eye health state and prognosis OBJECTIVE To determine prevalence and associated factors of utilization of eye care services among adults who are 40 and above living in Jimma town from June to July 2022 METHODS A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Jimma town residents aged 40 and above, involving 460 systematically selected households. Data were collected using interview-administered structured questionnaires, entered in Epi-data 3.1, and analyzed with SPSS 25. Descriptive analysis assessed eye care service utilization, while bivariate and multivariate logistic regression identified associated factors. Associations were considered statistically significant at p<0.05 with a 95% confidence level. RESULTS The prevalence of eye care service utilization in Jimma town was 136(29.6%) with 95% CI of 25.8%-34.2%. Older age (55–64 years), higher education, health insurance (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.19–2.68), diabetes mellitus (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.03–4.91), and mobility-limiting diseases (AOR = 4.25, 95% CI: 2.98–7.27) significantly increased eye care service utilization. Very strong associations were found with history of eye disease (AOR = 17.1, 95% CI: 9.08–32.2), eye disease affecting movement (AOR = 7.42, 95% CI: 3.46–15.9), family history of eye disease (AOR = 6.58, 95% CI: 3.60–12.0), and knowledge about eye checkups (AOR = 14.47, 95% CI: 8.70–24.1). CONCLUSIONS Eye care service utilization in Jimma town was relatively low with utilization strongly influenced by sociodemographic factors, health conditions, and awareness of eye disease. Strengthening community-based awareness programs on the importance and timing of eye checkups substantially improve eye care service utilization.