Abstract:
This study sought to investigate communities’ utilization of the available
trachoma eye care services and the factors affecting utilization of these
services. Community members aged eighteen and over participated.
Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Stratified and simple
random sampling was used to select respondents and eleven eye care
personnel purposively sampled. Study tools used were questionnaires,
interview schedules and observational checklists. Data analysis was
performed using Stata. Categorical variables were summarized as
frequencies and corresponding percentages while the continuous variables
were summarized as the median and the corresponding lower and upper
quartiles. The association between categorical variables was assessed using
the Pearson’s Chi Square test. Approval by Institution Research and Ethics
Committee and informed consent from the study participants was sought.
The results indicated that low (36%) utilization of trachoma eye care
services. The only statistically significant factor affecting utilization of the
services was the respondents’ gender. The main barriers affecting utilization
of the eye care services were accessibility and affordability. The study
concluded the need for intensive awareness campaigns in the region on the
available eye care services and addressing the local barriers to uptake of
these services through community participation in education and outreach
services.
