Accessibility and Challenges to Ophthalmic Instruments Acquisition among Optometry Students in Ghana

Introduction Understanding the factors that influence the acquisition of ophthalmic instruments may have a profound impact on the clinical training of optometry students though this has not been previously studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the acquisition of personal ophthalmic instruments (POIs) among optometry students in Ghana. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted among optometry students in Ghana. The analytic sample consisted of 485 optometry students from the Schools of Optometry and Visual Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana. Participant characteristics and patterns of ophthalmic instrument acquisition were collected using a structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between factors influencing POI acquisition. Results Slightly more than one third (39.8%) owned a POI that was primarily an ophthalmoscope. Multiple logistic regression showed that financial difficulty (AOR: 0.45, CI: 0.29–0.71, p = 0.001 ), and lack of access to reliable information on instrument quality (AOR: 0.26, CI: 0.10–0.66, p = 0.005 ) were significantly associated with lower odds of POI acquisition. About 63.3% of students cited financial difficulty as the main barrier to POI acquisition. Conclusion Overall, 60.1% of students did not have their own ophthalmic instruments that was mainly due to financial constraints and lack access to reliable information on the quality of the instruments. The findings call for cost adjustments by stakeholders and increase awareness to optimize POIs acquisition among students. Taken together, the findings aim to improve clinical training and reduce disparities in optometry education among optometry students in Ghana.