Assessment of barriers to the utilization of eye care services in a tertiary hospital in north-central Nigeria

Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess the barriers to utilisation of eye care services in Lafia, Nasarawa State. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study that utilised an interviewer-administered questionnaire using a multi-staged sampling technique. The study population comprised adults 18 years and above who reside in Lafia local government area (LGA) of Nasarawa State. Data analysis was done using the software International business machines (IBM)-Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Results: A total of four hundred and nine (409) participants were assessed in this study. The mean age of study participants was 48.5 years ± 13.2 years. About one third 278 (68.0%) had a good knowledge of eye care services. There was a direct association between educational status and knowledge of eye care services. The majority of the subjects, 27.9%, were between the ages of 40–49 years of age while only a small proportion 0.5% of the subjects were >70 years of age. The majority of the subject 62.8% were males and were mostly married 39.4%. The educational attainment of the subjects revealed that about one quarter 24.7% had informal education and their source of livelihood was mainly farming 24.0%. The assessment of monthly income revealed that a large number of the subjects 26.7% earn between N1,000 and N 9,000 monthly with also a significant number of the subjects 25.2% earning above N100,000 monthly. The association between gender and knowledge of eye care services revealed that males had more knowledge compared to females. The association between occupation and knowledge of eye care services showed that there was a knowledge gap among traders and farmers, as they had lesser knowledge of eye care services. All these were statistically significant, with a value ( p < 0.05). Utilisation of eye care services was low and males utilised eye care services more than females. Financial constraints as the majority of participants pay for services from their pockets and distance were the major barriers to eye care service utilisation. To overcome some of these challenges, more eye care facilities that are affordable should be established in this community to reduce the socioeconomic cost of blindness and the National Health Insurance Scheme should be made operational at all community levels and expanded to cover a wider range of eye care services. Conclusion: In assessing the barriers to utilisation of eye care services in Lafia, Nasarawa state, this study has been able to identify the various barriers that prevent people from easily accessing eye care services in Lafia. The study found that majority of the participants knew about eye care services in Lafia, and never sought for eye care due to a lack of support from family members, friends and community members. Although education level and gender are important determinants of this gap, it is mainly attributable to economic status. Utilisation of eye care services in Lafia is low and males utilise eye care services more than females. Financial constraints as majority of participants pay for services from their pockets and distance were the major barriers to eye care service utilisation.