Eye Care Seeking Behavior Research Articles

Parental Ability to Detect Visual or Ocular Anomalies in Their Children

INTRODUCTION: Children typically depend on their parents to seek eyecare. Visual and ocular disorders can be challenging for parents to identify with the absence of apparent symptoms. This may hinder timely clinical diagnosis for children who need treatment. Parental awareness regarding common paediatric eye and vision anomalies along with eye care seeking behaviour has been reported, but there is a lack of studies that demonstrate parental ability to identify a presenting eye or vision disorder in their own children. AIM: This study aimed to determine parental ability to recognise a significant eye problem in their children. METHODS: The study population consisted of beneficiaries of Jaber Al Ahmad Armed Forces Hospital in Kuwait. Structured history and symptoms were taken from parents and comprehensive eye examinations were conducted for their children. Parental responses were compared to the eye test results to attain the study purpose. RESULTS: A total of 188 parental interviews and 188 eye test results data were collected from 137 parents and their children. Only a few parents (18.1%) were able to detect significant visual or ocular anomalies in their children. One-third of the parents (33%) were under the assumption that the visual or ocular status of their children was within the norm, while the eye test results showed that the children had clinically significant issues. Overall, 41.5% of the entire group of parents were wrong in their assumption about the children’s visual or ocular status. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that a large proportion of parents may not be able to identify a presenting eye disorder in their children. This emphasises the significance of routine eye examinations at an early age.

Exploring the knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards child eye health: A qualitative analysis of parent experience focus groups.

The majority of childhood blindness causes in low-income countries are treatable or avoidable. Parents or guardians are responsible for making decisions regarding a child's eye care. Understanding parents' awareness and perception of eye problems in crucial in helping to know parents' eye care-seeking behavior. To determine parental knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding child eye health. Seven focus groups were carried out in Northwest Ethiopia on knowledge, attitude and practice of parents towards child eye health. Their responses were tape-recorded and later transcribed. A thematic phenomenological approach was used for the analysis. Seventy-one parents participated in the focus groups. Participants were aware of common eye problems like trachoma, trauma, and glaucoma. However, they were unaware of the causes and etiologies of childhood blindness. Participants perceived that eye problems could be treated with hygiene and food, and often held misconceptions about the cause of strabismus and utilization of wearing spectacles. The study revealed that parents are often unaware of the causes and etiologies of common childhood eye diseases, which has downstream effects on health-seeking behavior. Health promotion efforts, potentially through mass and social media, could be helpful to raise awareness, coupled with training of health professionals at primary and secondary health facility levels.

Barriers in older adults’ decision-making process to use routine eye examinations in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance The decision to have a routine eye examination involves individual- and service-level judgement. A deeper understanding of patient access barriers and expectations could facilitate the design of better-aligned service models in optometric practice, improving the utilisation rate of an important facet of primary healthcare services. Background Routine eye examinations achieve several health objectives, including mitigation of sight-threatening risk factors. However, there are barriers to service uptake. Through the qualitative approach, a deeper understanding of these barriers can be realised and enhanced strategies designed to improve the uptake of the routine eye examination. A qualitative study was conducted to identify the factors influencing the decision-making process of older adults to use the routine eye examination service. Methods This study was guided by the grounded theory approach. Participants were purposively recruited from six community elderly centres. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or above in Hong Kong. Data were transcribed and constant comparison techniques were used for data analysis. Results Difficulty in prioritising and including the routine eye examination in the existing health service utilisation was the central theme associated with its lower use. Four sub-themes were identified to explain this phenomenon: (1) previous health care service utilisation as a reference for judging primary eye care; (2) low perceived primary eye care service needs; (3) low perceived self-efficacy on routine eye care utilisation; (4) service expectations. Conclusion Multiple modifiable factors influence decision-making by older adults, suggesting that their routine eye care seeking behaviour might be altered through behaviour change intervention. The context in which services are delivered requires further study, with a focus on exploring the factors influencing service experience and its subsequent impact on regular eye care seeking behaviour.

Subjective Dry Eye Symptoms in Pregnant Women-A SPEED Survey.

Multisystemic physiological changes in pregnancy can result in tear film and refractive changes in the eye. We report dry eye prevalence in pregnant women using Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire. The SPEED questionnaire was self-administered cross-sectionally to 428 pregnant women (mean age: 26.8 ± 4.4 years) with clinically confirmed pregnancy from two obstetric clinics in Chennai, India. Subjects with predisposing risk factors for dry eye were excluded from the study. Subjects were categorized as normal, moderate, and severe dry eye based on the SPEED score. Among the women, 48.5% of the subjects had symptoms like dryness, grittiness or scratchiness, soreness or irritation, burning or watering, or eye fatigue. About 2.3% had moderate dry eye according to SPEED questionnaire criteria. Eye fatigue was the most reported symptom and was present in 76.4% of women. The symptom frequency score and severity score had a strong and significant correlation (r = 0.95, P < .001). No significant correlation was noted among SPEED score vs age (r = -0.02, P > .05). No significant correlation was found between symptoms of dry eye and gravidity (ρ = -0.006, P > .05) and trimester (ρ = 0.38, P > .05). Binary logistic regression showed that only occupational status and systemic condition was significantly associated with dry eye symptoms. About half the pregnant women at the visit reported having one or more dry eye-related symptoms. As per the composite SPEED questionnaire score, dry eye was not prevalent among pregnant women irrespective of their age, gravidity, and the trimester, but we found a majority of pregnant women reported to have experienced dry eye-related symptoms, though tolerable. Awareness about dry eye during pregnancy will improve eye care seeking behaviour in pregnant women.

Knowledge about Cataract and Associated Factors among Adults

Introduction: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally and accounts for half of the total blindness in Ethiopia. Despite being treatable, the need for knowledge about cataract and its treatment options is a barrier to timely service in developing countries. Improving community knowledge about cataracts can be vital in improving eye care-seeking behavior. Objective: To assess knowledge and associated factors about cataract among adults in Kombolcha, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was implemented. A stratified multistage sampling technique was used to select 847 study participants aged 18 years or older. A face-to-face interview was applied using a pretested structured questionnaire in the Amharic language. The collected data was entered into Epidemiological Information version 7 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with odds ratio were used. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were considered statistically significant predictors for knowledge about cataract. Results: A total of 771 participants completed the study with a response rate of 91%. Of the total, 86.0% were from urban kebeles, and 50.8% were female. The median age of the participants was 30 years. About 75.6% (583) of individuals were familiar with the word cataract. Overall 537 (69.6%, 95% CI: 66.3- 72.9) had good knowledge about cataract. Higher educational status (AOR: 6.041; 95% CI: 3.106-11.746), being married (AOR: 1.787; 95% CI: 1.174-2.721), history of a previous eye examination (AOR: 1.619; 95% CI: 1.053-2.488) and positive history of cataract (AOR: 10.443; 95% CI: 2.078-52.493) were factors significantly associated with good knowledge about cataract. Conclusion: Considerable proportion of study participants was knowledgeable about cataract. Higher educational status, being married, having a previous eye examination and having a positive history of cataract had a significantly positive association with good knowledge about cataract. Boosting knowledge about cataracts is required for the community segment without formal education.

Knowledge and Awareness of Children Eye Care Among Parents In Malaysia

Introduction: Children rarely complain about their vision, therefore rely on parents’ knowledge and awareness for early detection and management of their ocular problems. Parents’ knowledge and awareness may influence their eye-care seeking behaviour, which in turn helps to reduce the prevalence of childhood eye problems. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate knowledge and awareness about childhood eye problems and eye care seeking behaviour among parents in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on parents with either typically developing (TD group) or special needs children (SN group) in Malaysia. Data were collected using a self-administered, validated bilingual questionnaire using Google Form distributed through social medias and associations via purposive sampling. Results: A total of 173 respondents (74 in SN group; 99 in TD group) aged between 20 to 50 years old participated in the study. Participants had the highest and the least knowledge about refractive error and strabismus respectively with social medias been the main source of information. Overall knowledge and attitude scores were significantly higher in SN group compared to TD group (p &lt; 0.05). Level of awareness was high for common symptoms and eye problems with no group differences observed. Conclusion: Misconception and low awareness are still an issue for less common eye conditions. The use of social medias in educating the public about these is recommended as this is the most preferred source of information. This study provides useful insight about parents in Malaysia with regards to children eye care including recommendations for future preventive measures.

Eye care seeking behavior among rural adults in South India: Tamil Nadu Rural Eye Examination (TREE) Study Report 1.

To present the eye care seeking behavior among rural adults in South India. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2019 and 2020 covering three blocks of the Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Door-to-door survey was performed to collect demographic information, status of literacy, occupation, and details of previous eye examination. Distance visual acuity was tested for individuals available in the house using a log MAR (logarithm of minimum angle of resonance) chart. Association between demographic details, details of previous eye examination, and status of vision was analyzed using logistic regression. A data of 12,913 individuals were included for the analysis, of which 6460 (50.03%) were females. Of the total individuals, 2007 (15.54%) had undergone an eye examination previously. There were 1639 (28.50%) people who had a vision less than 0.2 log MAR in at least one eye. The odds of reported 'previous eye examination' were more among females [odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32-1.66, P < 0.001]; individuals aged above 60 years [OR: 11.46, 95% CI: 9.44-13.91, P < 0.001], between 40 and 60 years [OR: 10.43, 95% CI: 8.85-12.30, P < 0.001], and between 18 and 40 years [OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 2.16-2.84, P < 0.001]; illiterates (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.45-2.15, P < 0.001); and farmers (OR: 1.32 95% CI: 1.12-1.55, P = 0.001). The study presents the utilization of eye care among rural South Indian adults. Almost 84.46% of individuals had not undergone any eye examination. Robust measures to promote eye care management would help in effective utilization of eye care services among rural adults.

Parent's eyecare seeking behavior for young children in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background: In Saudi Arabia, school health services lack adequate vision screening. To date, limited data on access to eye care in young children in Saudi Arabia exist. Aim: This study aims to evaluate whether parents who reside in Saudi Arabia know how to access eye care for their young children, and what barriers might exist to prevent them from seeking care. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study among parents of children 14 years or younger who reside in Saudi Arabia was conducted using an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 1023 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Of all responses, the majority 57.9% (n = 592) of parents reported that vision screening did not take place in their children's schools. Over half of the parents (n = 522, 58.9%) reported that their children had never undergone an eye examination before. Most common reason to seek eye care would be for concerns over poor vision reported in 59.5% (n = 609). The most common barrier to accessing eye care was not knowing how to access an eye test in 33.9% (n = 347) followed by a quarter of parents citing other reasons (n = 258, 25.2%) such as having no concerns and no clear reason to have their child's eyes examined. Conclusion: Parents in Saudi Arabia have some concerns and challenges in seeking eye care for their young children. Planned awareness programs to educate parents and help them overcome the barriers that hinder them from seeking eye care for their children are recommended.

Effect of integrated people-centred eye care (IPEC) model on eye care seeking behaviour of community.

World report on vision makes integrated people-centered eye care as care model of choice. Integrating eye care with the existing public health system makes services available, accessible, affordable, and sustainable. Being from the community, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are better suited to improve people's eye health-seeking behavior. This study aims to assess the eye care-seeking behavior of community and to understand their response toward the approach of integrated vision centers (VC) with ASHA involvement. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in South Delhi district where integrated VC were functional for more than a year. These centers were supervised by medical officer in-charge, under whom ophthalmic assistants, ASHAs, auxiliary nurse midwives, and pharmacist work. ASHAs were trained in community-based primary eye care. The community survey was conducted on eye health-seeking behavior and utilization of VC services. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Out of 1571 study participants, 998 reported any ophthalmic illness in family in the past 6 months as against 1302 who reported nonophthalmic illness in family. The majority (1461, 90%) were aware about integrated VC and half of them (748, 51.2%) visited it. Of them, 64.2% were motivated through ASHAs. ASHAs spread awareness about eye diseases, eye treatment facility, and referred patients from the community. The majority (93%) were happy with the integrated VC and 87.8% were happy with ASHAs. Integrated VC with ASHA engagement could pave the way for universal eye health. Understanding people's needs and engaging community would increase the demand for eye care.

How is eye care seeking affected by intersectional experiences? A study of ageing women in the Indian Sundarbans

ABSTRACT Old age often marks a period of changed socioeconomic position and physical infirmity. Older adults make up a large and complex population sub-group where several identities and characteristics coalesce to create intersectional experiences. Visual impairment can be prevented or cured to a large extent. Globally, women's access to eye care is lower than that for men. We use the intersectionality lens to examine the experiences of women above the age of 50 years in an impoverished region of India. In-depth interviews were carried out with 12 women in the Indian Sundarbans. They have been categorised into three age groups: young-old, middle-old, and old-old. All of them had either low vision or high visual impairment. Our study shows that women's vulnerability gets compounded gradually. Gendered vulnerabilities such as women's restricted mobility and economic dependency continue with increasing age and visual impairment. Physical dependency worsens with time and increasing visual impairment. Women's gendered roles undergo a change. Their living arrangements may change. Such dynamism has a bearing on women's eye care-seeking behaviour. Our study calls for the recognition of intersectional gendered experiences during the provision of eye care services so that the needs of older women are met in an appropriate manner as they age.

How does eye care seeking behaviour change with increasing age and visual impairment? Intersectional analysis of older adults in the Indian Sundarbans

BackgroundVisual impairment disproportionately affects people in the low-income countries. A high proportion of visual impairment can be prevented or cured. Yet, care seeking for eye health is restricted for women and older adults. This article uses the intersectionality approach to understand how eye care seeking behaviour changes in men and women with increase in age and visual impairment in a poor and underserved region of India. It brings forth the commonalities and differences between the various groups.MethodsThe article is based on qualitative data. Persons aged 50 years and more are categorized into young-old, middle-old and old-old. Men and women with low vision/ high visual impairment have been selected from each of the three age groups. In-depth interviews have been carried out with 24 study participants. Data saturation has been attained. The JHPIEGO Gender Analysis Framework underpins the study. The narrative data has been coded in NVivo 10 software.ResultsVarious symptoms are associated with visual impairment. The young-old with low vision do not report much difficulty due to visual impairment. Study participants with high visual impairment, and in the older age groups do. Difficulty in the discharge of regular chores due to visual impairment is rarely reported. Impaired vision is considered to be inevitable with advancing age. Care seeking is delayed for eye health. Typically, outpatient care from nearby health care facilities has been sought by men and women in every group. Inpatient care is limitedly sought, and mostly restricted to men. Eye care seeking behaviour changes among men with increase in age and visual impairment. Women consistently seek less care than men for both outpatient and inpatient eye care. Study participants of both genders become dependent with increasing age and visual impairment. Traditional patriarchal privileges enjoyed by men (such as mobility and economic independence) decrease with age. The vulnerability of women gets compounded with time.ConclusionsThe article presents a granulated understanding of eye care seeking behaviour among older adults in India. Such differentials need to be taken cognizance of in programmes promoting universal access to health care. Existing conceptualizations on access to health care need to be revisited.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Eye Problems among Older People in Central Tropical Region, Naypyitaw Union Territory, Myanmar

Purpose:Vision is essential one and it is proximately linked with their quality of life. In the meantime, older populations are increasing rapidly in the whole world and thus, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy are becoming common. Hot and dusty environment, inadequate access to water and poor facial hygiene are risk factors for blindness. Design: Lewe Township was purposively selected due to its high prevalent on eye problems. This cross-sectional study was conducted and simple random sampling was applied to achieve desired sample size. The structured questionnaires were used to collect data including screening of eye problems from 414 older population. Frequency, percentage, mean, SD and other descriptive analysis were determined and chi-square test for associations was constructed. Findings: Cataract was the highest prevalence rate with 40.8% followed by refractive error (27.3%) and pterygium (12.8%) among older people population in research area. While knowledge level indicated good level (88.4%), good attitude level (21.3%) and good practice level (27.1%) were noticeably low among older people. In the meantime, there were significantly associations between age (p=0.003) and education level (p=0.001) with knowledge level of older people while age (p=0.001), education level (p=&lt;0.001), occupation (p=0.038) showed statistically association with attitude level. Originality:The study noticed that higher prevalence of eye problems while relatively poor level of eye care seeking practice and unawareness on risk factors in targeted community. Knowledge and awareness for changing attitude about eye problems, eye care seeking behavior and preventive practices should be accomplished more.

Knowledge, Awareness, and Eye Care-Seeking Behavior in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) is common metabolic disorder that is characterized by increased circulating blood glucose levels. Long-term, continuous hyperglycemia leads to vasculature-related disorders, including those affecting the eyes, such as retinopathy. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of diabetic complications, specifically diabetic retinopathy, among diabetic patients attending the Jeddah Eye Hospital.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study targeting the outpatient clinics of Jeddah Eye Hospital for a period of 2 months. A total of 380 participants were randomly selected based on sample size calculations. A closed-ended questionnaire, generated after an extensive literature review, was distributed among the selected individuals. The questions focused on the participants’ clinical status of DM, socio-demographic characteristics, awareness of eye complications secondary to DM, eye screening, and eye care-seeking behavior.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 58.3 (standard deviation 10.9) years, and 52.4% of patients were female. The majority (89.7%) of participants had type II DM (T2DM). The level of awareness was satisfactory (92.4%); however, only 10.5% of participants knew the recommended frequency for eye check-ups. The level of awareness of related complications was directly influenced by education level, source of patient information, place of residence, and frequency of follow-up visits.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that although the awareness of diabetes-related eye complications was satisfactory in the patient population, eye care-seeking behavior and frequency of eye check-ups were not optimal. Efforts are needed to promote eye care-seeking behavior in this patient group.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40123-018-0147-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Eye Care Seeking Behavior on Prevention of Blindness among Elderly in Urban Area of Magway Township, Myanmar

Eye Care Seeking Behavior on Prevention of Blindness among Elderly in Urban Area of Magway Township, Myanmar

Eye Care Seeking Behavior on Prevention of Blindness among Elderly in Urban Area of Magway Township, Myanmar

Eye Care Seeking Behavior on Prevention of Blindness among Elderly in Urban Area of Magway Township, Myanmar

Parents’ awareness and perception of children's eye diseases in Nigeria

PurposeMost causes of childhood blindness are treatable or preventable. Knowledge of parents’ awareness and perception of eye problems is important in helping to understand parents’ eye care seeking behavior. This understanding becomes necessary as early detection and intervention can be effective when done at an early age. MethodStudy was carried out in Benin City, Nigeria. Thirty-five parents aged 38–54 years with a mean age of 43(±2) years were recruited. Twenty six were females and nine males. Ten eye care practitioners aged 30–45 years with a mean age of 40 (±2) were included. Seven were males and three were females. Data was analyzed qualitatively and in percentages. ResultsMajority of parents were aware of common eye problems: Blurry vision (85.7%), measles in eye (48.5%), cataract (74.3%), conjunctivitis (48.5%), itching and redness (74.3%), crossed eyes (34.3%), strabismus (57.1%), short sightedness (48.5%) and stye or hordeolum (57.1%). Too much carbohydrate, night reading and too much TV were some of the reasons given for bad eyesight. Self medication and use of local remedies for treatment of conjunctivitis was common practice (94.3%). Chloramphenicol eyedrop was the most common drug used for any eye problem before visiting a doctor (80.0%). ConclusionParents are aware of common eye diseases in children but have wrong perception of their causes. Programs to increase public awareness of causes of eye problems and harmful effects of self medication are advocated for to expose inherent dangers.

Ocular Health and Safety Assessment among Mechanics of the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.

Purpose:To conduct an ocular health and safety assessment among mechanics in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.Methods:This descriptive cross sectional study included 500 mechanics using multistage sampling. All participants filled a structured questionnaire on demographic data, occupational history and ocular health history. Study participants underwent determination of visual acuity (VA) using LogMAR chart, external eye examination with a handheld slit lamp biomicroscope, dilated fundus examination, applanation tonometry and refraction.Results:Out of 500 mechanics, 433 were examined (response rate, 87%) comprised of 408 (94.2%) male and 25 (5.8%) female subjects. The prevalence of visual impairment (i.e. presenting VA < 6/18) among the respondents was 2.1%. Eye injuries were reported in 171 (39.5%) mechanics probably due to the large number of workers, 314 (72.5%), who did not use eye protective devices. Mechanics in the auto welding category were at the highest risk of sustaining an eye injury (odds ratio [OR], 13.4; P < 0.001). Anterior segment ocular disorders were mostly pterygia while posterior segment eye disorders included glaucoma suspects and retinochoroidal lesions. The development of pterygia was associated with the number of years a mechanic stayed on the job. Eye care seeking behavior among the participants was poor.Conclusion:Eye injuries were prevalent among the mechanics as the use of eye protection was low. Eye safety should be made an integral part of the public health agenda in the Cape Coast Metropolis.

Study design, rationale and methods for a population-based study of myopia in schoolchildren: the Myopia Investigation study in Taipei.

To describe the study design, rationale and methodology of the Myopia Investigation Study in Taipei (MIT). The MIT was a city-wide, population-based cohort study. Participants were grade 2 students (Fall 2013) of all 153 elementary schools in Taipei City. The baseline data on the risk factors for myopia development was collected by parent-administered questionnaire surveys covering demographics, medical history, parental myopia, time spent on near work and outdoor activities, reading habits and eye care-seeking behaviour. Ocular examinations focused on the measurement of visual acuity (unaided and best-corrected) and refractive status (before and after cycloplegia), which will be carried out for the eligible schoolchildren biannually for 3 years consecutively. Once myopic children are identified, case manager-led telecoaching for health-care instructions and reminders will be delivered to parents or caregivers. To build a comprehensive database for prevalence, incidence and risk factors of early childhood myopia over a 3-year follow-up period. Of all 19 374 eight-year-old schoolchildren (10 210 [52.7%] boys) eligible for the MIT, 16 486 (85.1%) responded to the questionnaire, 12 019 (62.0%) were examined during the third quarter of 2013 and 11 590 (59.8%) (6267 [52.9%] boys) completed cycloplegic autorefraction on both eyes and were enrolled for further data analysis. There was no significant difference in terms of demographics between the analysed participants and all grade 2 students in Taipei City. Data from the MIT will provide population-based information concerning the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for myopia development among young schoolchildren in a metropolitan area of Taiwan.

Eye care seeking behaviour: a study of the people of Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Background: In developing countries, majority of the people do not receive optimal eye care due to barriers which limit their access to appropriate eye care services. The population in need of eye care therefore resort to alternative and accessible eye care services across and within in their communities. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the eye care seeking behaviour among people in the Cape Coast metropolis. Methods: A population based survey was conducted in the Cape Coast metropolis of Ghana, between February and May 2013 and the data was analysed in July 2013. Responses of pretested semi structured questionnaire covering aspects of attitudes and practices towards eye care was obtained from 700 participants who were 18 years and older in the Cape Coast metropolis. Households were systematically and randomly selected. Results: Among the study participants of 700, 54.1% have never had their eyes examined at any health facilities despite reported episodes of eye disease. Their main reason being the perception that their ocular symptom were of minor diseases (185, 45.2%) and cost of seeking eye care (126, 30.8%). Majority of the respondents (60.6%) who had not enrolled onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had never had their eyes checked as compared to those who were on health insurance (39.5%). Conclusion: The people of the metropolis have poor Eye health seeking behaviour with preference for alternative eye care services.

An Exploratory Study on Eye Healthcare Seeking Behavior of the Rural Elderly in Mayurbhanj District of Odisha

Despite national blindness prevalence of 1.4%, the burden in Odisha state is not known. Ophthalmic care seeking behavior among rural elderly is a non-priority. Health belief model is a recognized framework for studies on human behavior. A qualitative study was undertaken to have an in-depth understanding of current eye health seeking behavior of rural elderly (? 50 years) people in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha. Male and female respondents from the sample area were included in the study. Semi-structured questionnaires, In-Depth Interviews (IDI), Focused Group Discussions (FGD) were used for data collection. Elderly people in Mayurbhanj district perceived that they were susceptible to eye problems and felt that eye ailments could occur to any person, anytime. They considered eye problem as serious, which could hamper the family income, but had difficulties in accessing eye care facility and approaching eye doctor. Majority of respondents had fair knowledge on the benefit of treating eye problems early. Lack of timely information about availability of eye care services in their local areas was a programmatic gap. Distance, non-availability of any accompanying person, lack of monetary support, lack of information and fear of losing eye sight after surgery were found to be the main barriers behind delayed eye-care seeking behavior. Timely filling of vacancy of ophthalmic assistants at PHC level and effective participation of community through mobilization of link workers, such as ASHAs, would strengthen the national blindness control programme and improve rural healthcare system.