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Background: The eye-care seeking behaviour of parents for their children has a role to play in increasing or reducing the prevalence of childhood blindness. In Nigeria, little or no work has been done in this area. Hence, this study was carried out with a view to assisting eye-care professionals plan better program regimens and also to help them identify various elements that either facilitate or hinder eye-care seeking behaviour of parents for their school age children.Methods: This was a qualitative narrative study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Thirty-five parents and 10 eye-care practitioners were selected by random sampling and homogenous sampling methods, respectively. Parents were selected, based on those who sought care and those who did not seek care for their children after a school screening exercise. Collected data were analysed qualitatively by transcribing the voice recordings of interview sessions into textual data and themes were raised.Results: Four FGDs and 13 IDIs were conducted. Parents were more likely to seek care for manifest conditions than for conditions they could not perceive. A family history of ocular disease and repetitiveness of complaints facilitated parents to seek eye care for their children. The cost of eye-care services was a major barrier. Logistics such as fixing a doctor's appointment, getting time off work and long waiting periods at the clinic were also reported as barriers. Fear of treatment options and family interferences were also mentioned.Conclusion: Parents have some concerns and challenges in seeking eye care for their children. This study recommends that more work be done through planned awareness programs to educate parents and help them overcome the concerns and barriers that hinder them from seeking eye care for their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the barriers and incentives to eye care utilization (ECU) in Abagana, a rural south-eastern Nigerian community. The study was a population-based cross-sectional mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) survey of adult inhabitants of Abagana, in July-August, 2011. Data on respondents' socio-demographics, barriers and incentives to ECU were collected, and analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Qualitative data were obtained from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews and analyzed using ATLAS.ti software. The 549 respondents (males 224) were aged 49.8 ± 15.9 SD years (range 18-93 years). Overall, orthodox eye care had ever been sought by 42.4 %, and 46.4 % of those who reported change in vision. Lack of awareness-31.8 %, cost-18.0 %, and fatalistic attitudes-15.9 % were the main ECU barriers. Possession of health insurance (OR 11.49; 95 % CI 4.21-31.34; p = 0.001), family history of eye disorder (OR 3.27, 95 % CI 2.03-5.26; p = 0.001), noticed change in vision (OR 11.30; 95 % CI 1.42-90.09; p = 0.022), current eye disease (OR 4.06; 95 % CI 2.29-7.19; p = 0.001) and systemic co-morbidity (OR 4.33; 95 % CI 2.67-7.02; p = 0.001) were the incentives to ECU. To enhance the low ECU in Abagana community, educational interventions on eye health maintenance and eye health seeking behaviours, and measures to reduce eye care cost are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]