OPTOMETRY CLINIC SERVICES

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.