Research Article

Socio-economic status and utilization of healthcare facilities in rural Ekiti, Nigeria

*¹Owoseni Joseph Sina, ²Jegede Lucy Iyabo and ²Ibikunle Ayodele M

¹College of Medicine and Health Sciences (Medical Sociology), Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

²Department of Sociology, Ekiti state University, Ado – Ekiti, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author E-Mail: owoshynah@yahoo.com, Tel; +2348066504953, +2348039140118, +2348037280943

Accepted 20 July 2014

Abstract

People especially women and children die everyday due to the poor standard of living and low level of utilization of health care facilities in most rural communities and as such, this study seeks to examine the influence of socio-economic status on healthcare facilities utilization and to ascertain the quality of healthcare facilities available in the rural communities. A descriptive research design was employed for the study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The sample size was selected through random sampling technique and a total of 400 questionnaires were administered to the respondents out of which 357 questionnaires were retrieved. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis while the quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS. Chi-square and correlation analysis were used for the objectives stated in the study to explore the relationship between the variables. Theoretically, the study made use of Rational Choice Theory (RCT) and Health Belief Model. Rational Choice Theory (RCT) focuses on individual rational action that helps to explain the aggregate behaviour in the society. Health Belief Model is a major psychosocial model of health seeking behaviour (activity taken by a person who believes himself healthy for the purpose of preventing disease) or illness behaviour (activity undertaken by a person who feels ill for the purpose of gaining relief) is described by the health belief model as proposed by Rosenstock as well as in the illness behaviour proposed by mechanic (1962). The quantitative data was computer processed and analyzed with statistical package for Social Science (SPSS v18.0). Chi-square and Correlation analysis were used for the objectives stated above to explore the relationship between the variables. It also was used to involve the use of descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution tables, percentage distribution and Pearson chi-square and Pearson correlation while the qualitative data were analyzed through manual content analysis to identify the impact of TBAs on maternal and child health. The outcome of the study indicates that Most of the respondents (95.8%) agreed that they had utilized health facility while 4.2% of the respondents had not utilized health facility. The correlation findings R = - 0.221 (0.000) illustrated that there was a negative significant relationship of 0.000 between education and utilization of health facility.

Keywords: Health Facility, Utilization, Socio-economic, Maternal health, Child Health, Antenatal, Postnatal