Discipline of Optometry, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Ghana Med J. 2023 Jan;57(1):58-65. doi: 10.4314/gmj.v57i1.9.
This survey determined the utilisation of eye care services and associated factors among adults in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
A population-based cross-sectional descriptive study.
Data for this study was collected from 1615 randomly selected individuals in the Ashanti region of Ghana, using a structured, pretested interviewer-guided questionnaire. Information regarding the accessibility and determinants of, and barriers to, eye care services was based on self-reports, using the WHO Eye Care Services Assessment Questionnaire. Inferential analyses were performed using the chi-square test for statistical significance, set at p=0.05.
Ashanti Region, Ghana.
One thousand six hundred and fifteen randomly selected adults.
Public eye care facilities were used by 58.2% of the participants for their last eye exam. Of the participants, 47.0% had travelled less than five kilometres for their last eye exam. Waiting time and service cost were participants' most frequently cited challenges in seeking care. No need felt (40.1%), self-medication (37.7%) and cost (22.2%) were the most frequently mentioned barriers to seeking ophthalmic services.
The major challenges encountered in seeking eye care services were waiting time and cost of service. Major barriers to ophthalmic services utilisation were no need felt, self-medication and cost. Factors such as cost, lack of felt need and self-medication, which serve as barriers to utilising eye care services, should be addressed by stake-holders through eye health education and promotion.
None declared.
本调查旨在确定加纳阿散蒂地区成年人的眼科保健服务利用情况及其相关因素。
基于人群的横断面描述性研究。
本研究的数据来自加纳阿散蒂地区的 1615 名随机选择的个体，采用结构化、预测试的访谈者指导问卷收集。关于眼科保健服务的可及性以及决定因素和障碍的信息是基于自我报告的，使用世界卫生组织眼科保健服务评估问卷。使用卡方检验进行推断性分析，统计显著性水平设为 p=0.05。
加纳阿散蒂地区。
1615 名随机选择的成年人。
58.2%的参与者最后一次眼部检查是在公立眼科保健机构进行的。在参与者中，47.0%为了最后一次眼部检查的出行距离不到五公里。等待时间和服务费用是参与者寻求护理时最常提到的挑战。不需要（40.1%）、自我用药（37.7%）和费用（22.2%）是寻求眼科服务时最常提到的障碍。
寻求眼科保健服务时遇到的主要挑战是等待时间和服务费用。利用眼科服务的主要障碍是不需要、自我用药和费用。利益相关者应通过眼健康教育和宣传来解决费用、缺乏感觉需要和自我用药等因素，这些因素是利用眼科保健服务的障碍。
无。
