Background and aim: To determine the utilization of eye care services in an underserved community in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Materials and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged 18 years and older. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the utilization of eye care services within the last two years.
Result: A total of 500 adults with a mean age of 48 ± 10 years participated in the study, the majority (65.6%) of whom were females. The utilization rate within the last two years was 18% (40/500). Utilization of eye care services was associated with age, religion, occupation, marital status, monthly income, education, family history, and history of ocular disease (all P < 0.05). The major barrier to the utilization of eye care services was cost (30%), distance (22.6%), and bad road infrastructure (15.2%).
Conclusion: There is a low rate of eye care service utilization in the Ugbawka community of Enugu State, Nigeria. The cost of eye care services, distance, and bad road infrastructure were the major barriers to the use of eye care services. These suggest the need for the provision of affordable and accessible eye care services in this community to reduce the burden of visual impairment and blindness.
Keywords: Enugu State; Nigeria; eye care services; rural area; utilization.