# Eye Care-Seeking Behavior Among Staff of the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria

## TL;DR

This study explores why university staff in Nigeria may not use eye care services despite being aware of their importance.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific barriers and factors influencing eye care-seeking behavior among Nigerian university staff.

## Key findings

- Most participants use the National Health Insurance Scheme, which is significantly linked to eye care-seeking behavior.
- Gender significantly influences where and how often participants seek eye care.
- Lack of awareness about available services is the most common barrier to eye care utilization.

## Abstract

Background: Eye care-seeking behavior plays an important role in addressing preventable vision loss and maintaining optimal eye health, yet significant gaps exist in the utilization of eye care services, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. This study investigated the factors influencing eye care-seeking behavior among staff of the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a stratified random sampling technique among staff members from all faculties of the University of Benin. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographic factors influencing their eye care-seeking behavior, awareness of available eye care services, and barriers to accessing care. The analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests with an alpha level at 0.05.

Results: Of the 371 participants, 213 (57.40%) were female and 158 (42.60%) were male. The mean age was 43.21 ± 11.24 years (range 20-69). Most of the participants used the National Health Insurance Scheme as their health finance plan coverage (56.30%), which was significantly associated with their eye health seeking behavior (p < 0.05). Gender was significantly associated with having an eye examination in the last 1-3 years (p = 0.042), seeking care at private eye clinics (p = 0.02), consulting an optometrist (p < 0.001), and visiting an eye clinic for their most recent eye problem (p < 0.001). Most participants recognized the importance of regular check-ups (78.40%) and are familiar with the different types of eye care services (n=209; 52.50%), however, 39.1% were unaware of the recommended examination frequency. The most common barriers were lack of awareness about available eye care services (73.3%), work-related commitments (73.1%), and fear of diagnosis or treatment (70.7%).

Conclusion: This study showed that while awareness of eye care is relatively high among staff at the University of Benin, various barriers prevent the effective utilization of the services, especially a lack of awareness about available eye care services. Therefore, targeted interventions are recommended to improve awareness and access to eye care services among university staff.