Boniface Ikenna Eze|CM Chuka-Okosa|Judith N Uche
Traditional eye medicine use by newly presenting ophthalmic patients to a teaching hospital in south-eastern Nigeria: socio-demographic and clinical correlates
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital|University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
study set determine incidence sociodemographic clinical correlates traditional eye medicine tem use population newly presenting ophthalmic outpatients attending tertiary eye care centre southeastern nigeria comparative crosssectional survey eye clinic university nigeria teaching hospital unth enugu august 2004 july 2006 newly presenting ophthalmic outpatients recruited participants sociodemographic clinical data profile tem use obtained history examination participant entered pretested questionnaire proforma participants subsequently categorized tem users nonusers intragroup analysis yielded proportions frequencies percentages chisquare test used intergroup comparisons p 001 df 1 2542 males 481 females 519 participants 149 59 males 45 females 55 used tem current eye disease tems used chemical substances 577 plant products 377 animal products 47 often prescribed nontraditional 664 traditional 369 medicine practitioners tems used account vision loss 585 ocular itching 254 eye discharge 38 reported efficacy previous users 671 belief potency 282 main reasons using tem civil servants 201 farmers 177 traders 141 leading users tem tem use significantly associated younger age p 001 married p 001 rural residence p 001 ocular anterior segment disease p 001 delayed presentation p 001 low presenting visual acuity p 001 comorbid chronic medical disease p 001 gender p 0157 educational status p 0115 incidence tem use among new ophthalmic outpatients unth low reasons tem use amenable positive change enhanced delivery promotive preventive curative public eye care services implications eye care planners implementers reverse trend suggest strengthening eye care programmes even distribution eye care resources active collaboration orthodox eye care providers traditional medical practitioners intensification research efforts pharmacology tems