Predictors of Healthcare-Seeking Behaviour, Health Services Access and Utilization in Ajebo Community, South-West, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30442/ahr.0704-06-148Keywords:
Healthcare spending, Patent Medicine Store, Primary Health Care, Rural Population, Educational attainementAbstract
Background: Health is a fundamental requirement for living a socially and economically productive life. Poor health inflicts great hardships on households, including debilitation, substantial monetary expenditures, loss of productivity and sometimes, death.
Objectives: To describe healthcare-seeking behaviour, access to health services and utilisation, and their predictors in a southwestern Nigerian community.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Ajebo community, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area in Ogun State. A total of 420 respondents were studied using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect quantitative data.
Results: More than half (54.0%) of the respondents had access to public health facilities, 41.7% had access to private health facilities, while patent medicine stores were accessed by 4.3% of the respondents. Out of the 249 (59.3%) who were ill in the preceding three months, 92.4% of them sought healthcare. More males utilized government-owned health services s than females (χ² = 3.878, p = 0.049). More than half (56.4%) travelled >10 minutes to access healthcare services. Lack of formal education was not a hindrance to seeking healthcare (OR = 31.392, p = 0.003, CI = 3.323-2.347). Income earning <30,000 Naira was the strongest predictor of healthcare utilization (OR = 3.304, p =0.001, 95% CI = 2.007-5.441). Education with OR = 31.392 (p = 0.003, 95% CI = 3.323-96.570) was the strongest predictor of healthcare-seeking behaviour.
Conclusion: Healthcare-seeking behaviour was not limited by lack of formal education. The utilisation of public health facilities was high among the respondents. State of employment and income were strong predictors of healthcare utilisation in Ajebo community.
References
Omonona BT, Obisesan AA and Aromolaran OA. Healthcare access and utilisation among rural households in Nigeria. J Dev Agric Econ 2015; 7: 195-203. https://doi.org/10.5897/JDAE2014.0620
Asenso-Okyere K, Chiang C, Thangata P, Andam KS. Interactions between Health and Farm-Labour Productivity. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washinton DC. 2011: 36. https://dx.doi.org/10.2499/9780896295421
Van der Hoeven M, Kruger A, Greeff M. Differences in Health Care Seeking Behaviour between Rural and Urban Communities in South Africa. Int J Equity Health 2012; 11: 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-11-31
Tinuade O, Iyabo RA, Durotoye O. Health-Care-Seeking Behaviour for Childhood Illnesses in a Resource-Poor Setting. J Paediatr Child Health 2010; 46: 238-242. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2009.01677.x
Peters DH, Garg A, Bloom G, Walker DG, Brieger WR, Rahman MH. Poverty and Access to Healthcare in Developing Country. Ann NY Acad Sci 2008; 1136: 161-171. https://dx.doi:10.1196/annals.1425.011
Chukwuneke FN, Ezeonu CT, Onyire BN, Ezeonu PO, Ifebunandu N, Umeora MC. Health Seeking Behaviour and Access to Health Care Facilities at the Primary Level in Nigeria: Our Experience. Ebonyi Med J 2012; 11: 51-57.
Ekwuluo CE, Eluwa AN, Okereke I, Orji SB. Knowledge, attitude to, and utilisation of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among Health workers in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. Int J Res-Granthaalayah 2018; 6: 1-22. https://dx.doi:10.5281/zenodo.1162015
Adam VY, Awunor NS. Perceptions and Factors affecting Utilisation of Health Services in a Rural Community in Southern Nigeria. J Biomed Sci 2014; 13: 117-124. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281374322
Egbewale BE, Odu OO. Perception and Utilisation of Primary Health Care Services in a Semi-Urban Community in South-western Nigeria. J Community Med Prim Health Care 2013; 24: 11-20. https://dx.doi:10.4314/JCMPHC.V2411-2
Babalola BI. Determinants of urban-rural differentials of antenatal care utilisation in Nigeria. Afr Pop Studies 2014; 28: 1263-1273. https://doi.org/10.11564/0-0-614
Navaneetham K, Dharmalingam A. Utilization of maternal health care services in Southern India. Soc Sci Med 2002; 55: 1849-1869. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00313-6
Nteta TP, Mokgatle-Nthabu M, Oguntibeju OO. Utilisation of the primary health care services in the Tshwane Region of Gauteng Province, South Africa. PLoS ONE 2010; 5: e13909. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013909
Report of the Expert Group on Revitalization of Primary Health care in Nigeria. Abuja. Nigeria. National Primary Health Care Development Agency; 2015. Available at: https://www.who.int/alliance-hpsr/projects/alliancehpsr_nigeriaprimasys.pdf?ua=1. Accessed on 12 July 2021.
World Health Organization. Alliance for Health Policy and System Research Primary Health Care Systems (PRIMASYS). Case Study from Nigeria. Available at: https://www.who.int/alliancehpsr/projects/alliancehpsr_nigeriaabridgedprimasys.pdf?ua=1. Accessed on 24 July 2021.
Onoka CA, Onwujekwe OE, Hanson K, Uzochukwu BSC. Examining Catastrophic Health Expenditures at various Thresholds using Household Consumption Expenditure diaries. Trop Med Int Health 2011; 16: 1334-1341. https://dx.doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02836.x.Epub
Aminu FO, Asogba EO. Utilisation of Health Care Facilities among Farming Households in Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. J Trop Agric Food Env Extension 2020; 19: 43-48. https://dx.doi:10.4314/as.v19i1.7
Admas AA, Jabulani N, Jonathan L. Health-care Utilization and associated factors in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Global Health Action.2017; 10: 1-9. https://dx.doi:10.1080/16549716.2017.1305765
Asuzu MC, Adebayo AM. Utilisation of a community-based health facility in a low-income urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria. Afr J Primary Health Care Fam Med 2015; 7: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v7i1.735
Setting Standards for Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care-Basic and Comprehensive Care. Available at: https://www.unfpa.org/resources/setting-standards-emergency-obstetric-and-newborn-care. Accessed on 02 August 2021.
Obafemi Owode Local Government. Available at: Goggle Searcg.gsc.og.gov.ng/obafemi-owode-local-govt-ajebo-community. Accessed on 02 August 2021.
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018. National Population Commission. Abuja, Nigeria. The DHS Program ICF, Rockville, Maryland, USA. October 2021.
Jekel JF, Katz DL, Elmor JG, Wild DMG. Sample Size, Randomisation, and Probability Theory. In: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier: 20013. 197-202.
IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Available from: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-cite-ibm-spss-statistics-or-earlier-versions-spss
Duru CB, Iwu AC, Uwakwe KA, Diwe KC, Merenu IA, Okafor CU, et al. Health Care Seeking Behaviour and Predictors of Combined Orthodox and Traditional Health Care Utilization among Households in Communities in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Open J Preventive Med 2017; 7: 115-137. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpm.2017.77010
Duru CB, Diwe KC, Uwakwe KA, Duru CA, Merenu IA, Iwu AC, et al. Combined Orthodox and Traditional Medicine Use among Households in Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria; Prevalence and Determinants. World J Prev Med 2017; 7: 5-11. https://doi.org/10.4236/wja.2017.72008
Adekanle DA, Adeyemi AS, Akinleye CA, Daramola OP. Knowledge and Health Seeking Behaviour of Nigerian Pregnant Women towards Pre- Eclampsia. Res J Health Sci 2014; 2: 123-134.
Osemene KP, Ejuoba AA, IIori MOA. A Comparative Assessment of Herbal and Orthodox Medicines in Nigeria. Res J Med Sci 2011; 5: 280-285. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjmsci.2011.280.285
Adibe MO. Prevalence of Concurrent Use of Herbal and Synthetic Medicines among Out-Patients in a Mission Hospital in Nigeria. Int J Drug Dev Res 2010; 1: 60-66.
Barman B, Saha J, Chouhan P. Impact of education on the utilisation of maternal healthcare services: An investigation from National Family Health Survey (2015–16) in India. 11 Child Youth Serv Rev. 2020; 108:Article number 104642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104642
Laksono AD, Wulandari RD. Determinant of the Puskesmas Utilization in Madura Island. Indian J Public Heal Res Dev 2019; 10: 576–581. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2019.03802.6
Suparmi, Iram Barida Maisya HL. Health Insurance as a Solution for Barriers to Maternal Healthcare Access in Indonesia. Jakarta. J Innovation, Creativity Change 2020; 14: 478-497.
Müllerschön J, Koschollek C, Santos-Hövener C, Kuehne A, Müller-Nordhorn J, Bremer V. Impact of health insurance status among migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on access to health care and HIV testing in Germany: A participatory cross-sectional survey. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 2019; 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-019-0189-3
Reshadat S, Zangeneh A, Saeidi S, Teimouri R, Yigitcanlar T. Measures of spatial accessibility to health centers: Investigating urban and rural disparities in Kermanshah, Iran. J Public Health 2019; 27: 519–529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-018-0966-9
Abubakar M, Basiru S, Oluyemi J, Abdulateef R, Atolagbe E, Adejoke J, et al. Medical Tourism in Nigeria: Challenges and Remedies to Health-Care System Development. Int J DevManagement Rev 2018; 13: 223-238. https://dx.doi:10.4314/1JDMR.V13I1
Tanimola MA, Julius OO. Health Seeking Behaviour in Anyigba, North-Central, Nigeria. Res J Med Sci 2010; 3: 47-51.
Nabyonga OJ, Mugisha F, Okui AP, Musango L, Kirigia JM. Health Care Seeking Patterns and Determinants of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure for Malaria for the Children Under-Five in Uganda. Malaria J 2013; 12: 175. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-12-175
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The articles and other materials published in the Annals of Health Research are protected by the Nigerian Copyright laws. The journal owns the copyright over every article, scientific and intellectual materials published in it. However, the journal grants all authors, users and researchers access to the materials published in the journal with the permission to copy, use and distribute the materials contained therein only for academic, scientific and non-commercial purposes.
