Healthcare Options and Factors Influencing Health Seeking Behavior in a Rural Community in Nigeria
A Cross-sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v7i2.335Keywords:
health-seeking behavior, rural, Nigeria, primary health careAbstract
Introduction: Healthcare resources are disproportionately distributed between urban and rural areas in many developing countries including Nigeria. Barriers to healthcare like cultural beliefs, poor education, and financial constraints make many rural dwellers seek other options of healthcare available to them. This paper aimed to determine healthcare options and sociodemographic factors associated with health-seeking practices in a rural community setting.
Methods: A sample of 380 rural community dwellers in southern Nigeria was recruited in a cross-sectional study. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic, healthcare access and utilization data. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 25.0 software. A chi-square test was used to find the association between sociodemographic characteristics and their health-seeking practices.
Results: Equal proportions (43.4%, 42.9%) of the respondents fell within the younger age categories of 10-29 and 30-49 years. Self-reported factors influencing the choice of health care were: Promptness of care (41.8%), cost (22.4%), professionalism (16.8%), distance (15.8%), and cultural belief (3.2%). The patent medicine store was the most utilized source of health care (42.1%). 140 (36.8%) respondents sought health care in the hospital. The hospital was utilized by 41.8% of respondents with secondary education; 34.9% with tertiary education; 31.7% primary and 26.1% with no formal education, respectively. Females tended to seek health care from hospitals (40.2%) and patent medicine store (43.7%) compared to males (33.3% and 41.0%). There was a statistically significant association between education and health care options utilized (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Less than half of rural dwellers make minimal use of standard health care mainly due to cost and perception of promptness. The health authority should, therefore, prioritize community health education and expand healthcare access to enable rural dwellers to optimize the minimum standard healthcare available within their various communities.
References
Gillam S. Is the declaration of Alma Ata still relevant to primary health care? BMJ. 2008;336(7643):536–8. http:dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39469.432118.AD
WHO and Wonca. Working party on mental health? What is primary care mental health? Ment Health Fam Med. 2008;5:9-13. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22477841
Ten years in public health 2007-2017. Report by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization. [cited: 2019 Dec 28 ] Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255355/9789241512442-eng.pdf;jsessionid=699E81B9100642B4C69FE9097A88362A?sequence=1
Bhatia M, Rifkin S. A renewed focus on primary health care: revitalize or reframe? Global Health. 2010;6:13.http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1744-8603-6-13
Hall JJ, Taylor R. Health for all beyond 2000: the demise of the Alma-Ata Declaration and primary health care in developing countries. Med J Aust. 2003;178(1):17-20. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12492384
UNICEF. Committing to child survival: a promise renewed. Progress report 2013, 9.09.2013 [cited: 2019 Jan 3]. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/APR_Progress_Report_2013_9_Sept_2013.pdf
McClure EM, Pasha O, Goudar SS, Chomba E, Garces A, Tshefu A, et al. Epidemiology of stillbirth in low-middle income countries: a global network study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2011;90(12):1379–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0412.2011. 01275.x
Nishiura H, Barua S, Lawpoolsri S, Kittitrakul C, Leman MM, Maha MS, et al. Health inequalities in Thailand: geographic distribution of medical supplies in the provinces. 2004 [cited: 2019 Dec 28];35(3):735-40. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15689097
Abdulraheem IS, Olapipo AR, Amodu MO. Primary health care services in Nigeria: critical issues and strategies for enhancing the use by the rural communities. J Pub. Health Epidem. 2012;4(1):5-13. Available from: https://academicjournals.org/journal/JPHE/article-abstract/F333DB74249
National Population Commission [Nigeria] and ICF Macro. Nigeria demographic and health survey 2008 [Dataset]. Data Extract from NGIR52.SAV, NGHR52.SAV, NGKR52.SAV, NGBR52.SAV, and NGPR52.SAV. IPUMS demographic and health surveys (IPUMS DHS), version 5, IPUMS and ICF [Distributors]. [cited: 2019 Jan 4] Available from: http://idhsdata.org.
Nnabuihe SN, Etamike L, Oduze NT. Rural poor, and rural health care: a social need for the policy shift. Eur J Sci. 2015;2:1-8. Available from: http://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/viewFile/5578/5373
Badiora AI, Abiola OB. Quality of life (QoL) of rural dwellers in Nigeria: a subjective assessment of residents of Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun-State. Ann Ecol Environ Sci. 2017;1(1): 69-75. Available from: https://www.sryahwapublications.com/annals-of-ecology-and-environmental-science/volume-1-issue-1/6.php
The Federal Republic of Nigeria. National health policy 2016: promoting the health of Nigerians to accelerate socio-economic development. Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria. [cited: 2019 Dec 28]Available from: http://www.nationalplanningcycles.org/sites/default/files/planning_cycle_repository/nigeria/draft_nigeria_national_health_policy_final_december_fmoh_edited.pdf.
Aregbeshola BS, Khan SM. Primary health care in Nigeria: 24 years after Olikoye Ransome-Kuti's leadership. Front Public Health. 2017;5:48. http:dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00048
Chinawa JM. Factors militating against effective implementation of primary health care (PHC) system in Nigeria. Ann Trop Med Public Health. 2015;8:5–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/1755-6783.156701.
Adedini SA, Odimegwu C, Bamiwuye O, Fadeyibi O, Wet ND. Barriers to accessing health care in Nigeria: implications for child survival. Glob Health Action. 2014;7:10. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.23499
Olakunde BO. Public healthcare financing in Nigeria: the way forward. Ann Nigerian Med. 2012; 6 (1): 4-10. Available from: http://www.anmjournal.com/text.asp?2012/6/1/4/100199
Uzochukwu B, Ughasoro MD, Etiaba E, Okwuosa C, Envuladu E, OE Onwujekwe. Health care financing in Nigeria:iImplications for achieving universal health coverage. Niger J Clin Pract. 2015;18:437-44 http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/1119-3077.154196
Boyle EH, King M, SobekM. IPUMS-Demographic and health surveys: Version 7 [dataset]. Minnesota Population Center and ICF International, 2019. https://doi.org/10.18128/D080.V7
Musoke D, Boynton P, Butler C, Musoke MB. Health seeking behavior and challenges in utilizing health facilities in Wakiso district, Uganda. Afr Health Sci. 2014;14(4):1046–http://dx.doi.org:10.4314/ahs.v14i4.36
Okonkwo AD, Okonkwo UP. Patent medicine vendors, community pharmacists and STI management in Abuja, Nigeria. Afr Health Sci. 2010;10(3):253–65. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21327137
Chukwuneke FN, Ezeonu CT, Onyire BN, Ezeonu PO, Ifebunandu N, Umeora MC. Health seeking behavior and access to health care facilities at the primary level in Nigeria: our experience. Ebonyi Medl J. 2012;11(1-2):52-7. Available from: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ebomed/article/view/86293
Mokgobi MG. Understanding traditional African healing. Afr J Phys Health Educ Recreate Dance. 2014;20(Suppl 2):24–34. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26594664
Eley NT, Namey E, McKenna K, Johnson AC, Guest G. Beyond the individual: social and cultural influences on the health-seeking behaviors of African American men. Am J Men's Health. 2019;13(1):1557988319829953. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1557988319829953
Hawkins J, Watkins DC, Kieffe E, Spencer M, Piatt G, et al. An exploratory study of the impact of gender on health behavior among African American and Latino men with type 2 diabetes. Am J Men's Health. 2017;11(2),344–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1557988316681125
Leandris L, Apophia N, Leonard J. Understanding masculinity and the challenges of managing type 2 diabetes among African American Men. J National Med Asso. 2007;99:550-54.
Alwhaibi M, AlRuthia Y, Meraya AM. Gender differences in the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine utilization among Adults with arthritis in the United States. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:8739170. [Published 2019 Nov 3]. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8739170
Bertakis K D, Azari R, Helms LJ, Callahan EJ, Robbins JA. Gender differences in the utilization of health care services. J Fam Prac. 2000 [cited 2019 Dec 28];49(2):147–52. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10718692.
Tenenbaum A, Nordeman L, Sunnerhagen KS, Gunnarsson R. Gender differences in care-seeking behavior and healthcare consumption immediately after whiplash trauma. PLoS ONE. 2017 [cited 2019 Dec 31];12(4): e0176328. Available from: https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0176328.
Shankar J, Ip E, Khalema E, Couture J, Tan S, Zulla RT, et al. Education as a social determinant of health: issues facing indigenous and visible minority students in postsecondary education in Western Canada. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Aug 28;10(9):3908–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10093908
Gumà J, Solé-Auró A, Arpino, B. Examining social determinants of health: the role of education, household arrangements and country groups by gender. BMC Public Health. 2019;699(19). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7054-0
Onyeonoro UU, Ogah OS, Ukegbu AU, Chukwuonye II, Madukwe OO, Moses AO. Urban-rural differences in Health-care-seeking pattern of residents of Abia State, Nigeria, and the implication in the control of NCDs. Health Serv Insights. 2016;9:29–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.4137/HSI.S31865
Hahn RA, Truman BI. Education improves public health and promotes health equity. Int J Health Serv. 2015;45(4):657–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020731415585986
Wellay T, Gebrselassie M, Mesele M, Gebretinsae H, Ayele B, Tewelde A, et al. Demand for health care service and associated factors among patients in the community of Tsegedie District, Northern Ethiopia. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):697. http:dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3490-2
Versteeg M, du Toit L, Couper I. Building consensus on key priorities for rural health care in South Africa using the Delphi technique. Glob Health Action. 2013;6:19522. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.19522
Murray S. Poverty and health. CMAJ. 2006;174(7):923. http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.060235
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Christian Journal for Global Health applies the Creative Commons Attribution License to all articles that we publish. Under this license, authors retain ownership of copyright for their articles or they can transfer copyright to their institution, but authors allow anyone without permission to copy, distribute, transmit, and/or adapt articles, even for commercial purposes so long as the original authors and Christian Journal for Global Health are appropriately cited.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
40.jpg){kind=logo}
.jpg)
1.jpg)
