Factors Associated with the Utilization of Primary Health Care Services Among Residents of Ndokwa West LGA of Delta State, Nigeria
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Primary healthcare utilization denotes the inclination of potential or prospective patients to make use of the services offered at primary healthcare facilities. However, the underutilization of these services suggests a growing lack of trust among certain segments of the population especially at rural levels. This research therefore is aimed at assessing the factors associated with the utilization of primary health care services among residents of Ndokwa West LGA.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study approach was used in the investigation, which included 396 participants, a pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents, descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, and cross tabulation analysis was performed to establish the factors influencing utilization of primary health care across residents.
Results: The findings showed that 240(60.6%) respondents were men, 264(66.7%) respondents were married, and there were more 269(67.9%) Christians among the respondents. The research involved 344 natives (86.1%) and 273 Ukwani (68.9%), with 55.6%) having tertiary education, and many earning over N150,000 as an income. The results also showed a good pattern of utilization of PHC services among respondents. Significant association was observed between sex, marital status, religion, native of the community, occupation and pattern of utilization of primary healthcare service (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The study highlighted the importance of socio-demographic factors and accessibility in influencing primary healthcare utilization patterns. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, laying the groundwork for future research and interventions to improve healthcare services and ensure equitable access.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Journal is owned, published and copyrighted by the Nigerian Medical Association, River state Branch. The copyright of papers published are vested in the journal and the publisher. In line with our open access policy and the Creative Commons Attribution License policy authors are allowed to share their work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations. While the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate on the date of its going to press, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
TNHJ also supports open access archiving of articles published in the journal after three months of publication. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g, in institutional repositories or on their website) within the stated period, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access). All requests for permission for open access archiving outside this period should be sent to the editor via email to editor@tnhjph.com.
How to Cite
References
1. Behera BK, Prasad R. Primary health-care goal and principles. In: Healthcare Strategies and Planning for Social Inclusion and Development. 2021. p. 221.
2. Olise P. Primary Health Care for Sustainable Development. 2nd ed. Abuja: Ozege Publications; 2012. p. 17.
3. Nwokoro UU, Ugwa OM, Ekenna AC, Obi IF, Onwuliri CD. Determinants of primary healthcare services utilisation in an under-resourced rural community in Enugu State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. Pan Afr Med J. 2022;42(1):209. doi:10.11604/pamj.2022.42.209.33317.
4. Amedari MI, Ejidike IC. Improving access, quality and efficiency in health care delivery in Nigeria: a perspective. PAMJ One Health. 2021;5(3). doi:10.11604/pamj-oh.2021.5.3.28204.
5. Adongo W, Asaarik MJ. Health seeking behaviors and utilization of healthcare services among rural dwellers in under-resourced communities in Ghana. Int J Caring Sci. 2019;11(2):840.
6. Iyinbor VT, Olu OOM, Nwaogwugwu JC, Adam VY. Perceptions and factors affecting utilization of primary health care services in a predominantly urban community in South-South Nigeria. J Med Biomed Res. 2023;22(2):38-46.
7. Burnham G, Hoe C, Hung YW, Ferati A, Dyer A, Al Hifi T, Aboud R. Perceptions and utilization of primary health care services in Iraq: findings from a national household survey. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2011;11(15).
8. O'Neill K, Takane M, Sheffel A, Abou‐Zahr C, Boerma T. Monitoring service delivery for Universal Health Coverage: the service availability and readiness assessment. Bull World Health Organ. 2013;91(12):923‐931.
9. Sule SS, Ijadunola KT, Onayade AA, Fatusi AO, Soetan RO, Connell FA. Utilization of primary health care facilities: lessons from a rural community in southwest Nigeria. Niger J Med. 2008;17(1):98-106.
10. World Health Organization (WHO). Declaration of Alma-Ata: Report on the International Conference on Primary Health Care. World Health Organization; 1978.
11. Joy. (2021, October 7). The five most populous local government areas in Anioma. Anaedo Online. Retrieved August 16, 2022, from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anioma_people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anioma_people)
12. Asa S, Titilayo A, Kupoluyi J. Assessment of contraceptive use by marriage type among sexually active men in Nigeria. Int Q Community Health Educ. 2018;38(3):181–94. doi:10.1177/0272684X17749800
13. Ezeama NN, Okunna N, Ezeama CO. Multi-level correlates of the nutritional status of Nigerian women of reproductive age. Community Health Equity Res Policy. 2022;44(1):109–21. doi:10.1177/2752535X221126071
14. Omonana, B, Obisesan, A, and Aromolare. Healthcare access and utilization among rural households in Nigeria. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 2004:7(5): 95-103.