Knowledge and Experience of Ocular Morbidities Among Clients in Primary Healthcare Facilities in Rivers State

Abstract

Background and aim: Primary eye care (PEC) is a vital component of comprehensive eye care that focuses on the prevention and control of ocular morbidities through health promotion and education activities as well as the provision of services to address these morbidities. Ocular diseases however, are still experienced as a result of various factors including having poor knowledge of these morbidities. This study was thus aimed at assessing the knowledge of PEC services, as well as the experience of ocular morbidities among persons receiving care at Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in Rivers State.
Materials and methods: This study utilized the descriptive cross-sectional study design and was conducted among 356 clients of PHC facilities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires to identify their knowledge of PEC services, and ocular morbidities they had ever experienced. Data analysis was done using the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and was presented on tables and charts.
Results: Most of the respondents were found to have good knowledge 243 (68.0%) of PEC services, and the common ocular morbidities experienced by them included conjunctivitis 229 (64.3%), red eye 202 (56.7%), eye irritations 194 (54.5%), near vision 154 (43.3%), loss of vision 151 (42.4%), far vision 149 (41.9%), cataracts 140 (39.3%) and so on.
Conclusion and recommendation: The knowledge of PEC among most PHC clients was found to be good, and they had also experienced various ocular morbidities. It is necessary that urgent interventions are put in place to tackle the prevailing occurrence of ocular diseases by relevant government ministries and agencies.