Determinants of primary healthcare services utilisation in an under-resourced rural community in Enugu State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

primary health care (PHC) is essential towards achieving universal health coverage. Improving PHC services require understanding context-specific factors influencing utilisation. We assessed the factors influencing utilisation of PHC services in a rural community in Enugu, Nigeria.

METHODS

we conducted a cross-sectional community-based survey between May and June, 2017. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, utilisation of PHC services, community- and PHC facility-related factors associated with utilisation of PHC services was obtained from 335 adult residents aged ≥ 18 years using a pre-tested semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 5% level of significance.

RESULTS

of the 335 respondents, 155 (46.2%) reported utilisation of PHC services the last time they were sick. Of 178 respondents who did not utilise PHC services, 51 (28.7%) reported poor quality health services, 41 (23.0%) unavailability of medical doctors, 31 (17.4%) long patient waiting time and 25 (14.0%) unavailability of drugs as reasons for non-utilisation. Being a female (AOR = 2.3 (95% CI 1.3 - 4.0)), affordability of health services (AOR = 2.4 (95% CI 1.3 - 4.6)), inadequacy of healthcare staff (AOR = 0.3 (95% CI 0.1 - 0.5)), shorter hospital waiting time (AOR = 2.2 (95% CI 1.2 - 4.3)) and satisfaction with PHC services during previous visit (AOR = 2.6 (95% CI 1.1 - 6.3)) influenced utilisation of PHC services.

CONCLUSION

PHC services utilisation was low. Improving utilisation would require addressing cost of health services, adequacy of healthcare staff, patient waiting time and ensuring patient satisfaction with PHC services.