EKI OGHRE

Access to quality eye care services among university students is critical for maintaining visual efficiency, academic performance, and general well-being. Despite the availability of a well- equipped Optometry Clinic within the University of Benin, anecdotal evidence suggested that many students underutilize its services. Understanding the factors influencing utilization is vital for improving access and strengthening preventive eye care strategies in tertiary institutions. To assess the factors influencing utilization of optometry clinic services among undergraduate students of the University of Benin. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing demographic information, awareness, eye health-seeking behaviour, and barriers to utilization. 382 undergraduate students were selected through stratified random sampling across faculties and levels of study. This study shows that 60% of proportion of undergraduate students in the University of Benin have utilized the available eye-care services at least once. Chi-square tests assessed factors associated with clinic utilization with a significance level set at p < 0.05. The study showed that proximity (p = 0.021) to clinic was the only factor with a statistically significant association with clinic utilization. Short waiting time (p = 0.366), friendly staff (p = 0.318), availability of drugs and spectacles (p = 0.631) showed no significant association. The findings support the need for enhanced awareness programs, affordable service models, and policy integration of routine eye examinations into student health programs to improve vision care accessibility and utilization.

Access to quality eye care services among university students is critical for maintaining visual efficiency, academic performance, and general well-being. Despite the availability of a well- equipped Optometry Clinic within the University of Benin, anecdotal evidence suggested that many students under-utilize its services. Understanding the factors influencing utilization is vital for improving access and strengthening preventive eye care strategies in tertiary institutions. To assess the factors influencing utilization of optometry clinic services among undergraduate students of the University of Benin. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing demographic information, awareness, eye health-seeking behaviour, and barriers to utilization. 382 undergraduate students were selected through stratified random sampling across faculties and levels of study. This study shows that 60% of proportion of undergraduate students in the University of Benin have utilized the available eye-care services at least once. Chi-square tests assessed factors associated with clinic utilization with a significance level set at p < 0.05. The study showed that proximity (p = 0.021) to clinic was the only factor with a statistically significant association with clinic utilization. Short waiting time (p = 0.366), friendly staff (p = 0.318), availability of drugs and spectacles (p = 0.631) showed no significant association. The findings support the need for enhanced awareness programs, affordable service models, and policy integration of routine eye examinations into student health programs to improve vision care accessibility and utilization.

This study comprehensively examined the awareness and practice of visual hygiene among undergraduate students of the University of Benin, Benin City, with a focus on evaluating their level of knowledge, behavioural compliance, and the major barriers influencing adherence to recommended visual health practices. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 428 undergraduate students selected across various faculties through a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The findings revealed a moderate level of awareness (68.2%) regarding visual hygiene principles, as the majority of students demonstrated understanding of fundamental aspects such as adjusting screen brightness (71.3%) and using adequate lighting (65.2%). However, fewer respondents were aware of key preventive and behavioural components including maintaining correct posture (51.2%), practicing regular blinking to prevent dry eye (44.6%), undergoing routine eye examinations (33.9%), and eating a diet rich in eye-healthy nutrients (27.3%). The level of practice was also found to be low (45.6%), as most students reported spending an average of three to six hours daily on digital screens but showed poor compliance with preventive strategies such as taking regular breaks and maintaining ergonomic posture. The use of eye care services was largely reactive, with 58.0% of respondents visiting the eye clinic only when visual symptoms occurred. The study also revealed that behavioural barriers such as forgetfulness (46.7%), time constraints, and low motivation significantly hindered the consistent application of good visual hygiene practices. Furthermore, chi-square analysis indicated no statistically significant relationship between faculty of study and awareness levels (p>0.05), suggesting that knowledge of visual hygiene was generally uniform across disciplines. The study concludes that although undergraduate students of the University of Benin possess moderate awareness of visual hygiene, their actual practices remain inadequate, revealing a persistent knowledge–practice gap. Ittherefore recommends the implementation of continuous educational interventions, integration ofvisual hygiene modules into university curricula, and the establishment of institutional support.