Afolabi Nathanael, Ilesanmi Benjamin Bukky, Enangama Victor, Ahmad Abdulmajid, Titilola Munkail, Oyinlola Omolara, Mohammed Salisu, Inuwa Usman, David Akinpelu, Aboh Chika, Badmus Olayinka, Abdu-Aguye Shittu
USAID Breakthrough ACTION - Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Program, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria.
Department of Demography and Social Statistics Faculty of Social Sciences Obafemi Awolowo University Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
IJID Reg. 2025 Jul 17;16:100710. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100710. eCollection 2025 Sep.
In Nigeria, despite the devastating effects of Lassa fever (LF), public health interventions have largely neglected timely health-seeking behavior (HSB) for LF symptoms. We, therefore, examined communication channels as a strategy associated with timely HSB in communities severely affected by LF in Bauchi State.
We conducted a cross-sectional design using a multi-stage sampling technique to select 1018 respondents aged 18 years and older. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct the interviews. Multivariate binary logistics regression was used to examine the statistical relationships between HSB and associated factors at 5% level of significance.
Findings revealed that 51.15% of the respondents sought timely care from health facilities, whereas 41.33% sought timely care from traditional healers or use home remedies for LF symptoms. Family and friends, community volunteers, and perception of illness were significantly associated with timely care-seeking from health facilities while primary education, community volunteers, and drug availability were significantly associated with timely care-seeking from traditional healers or used home remedies for LF symptoms. Perceived stigma is likely to reduce timely care-seeking from health facilities but likely to increase timely care-seeking from traditional healers or used home remedies for LF symptoms.
Most respondents still have the tendency to seek timely care from traditional healers or use home remedies in place of health facilities on LF symptoms. Communication channels and the adoption of the health belief model are essential strategic tools for promoting timely HSB from health facilities and identifying the barriers that hinder it.
在尼日利亚，尽管拉沙热（LF）具有毁灭性影响，但公共卫生干预措施在很大程度上忽视了针对LF症状的及时就医行为（HSB）。因此，我们在包奇州受LF严重影响的社区中，研究了作为与及时HSB相关策略的沟通渠道。
我们采用多阶段抽样技术进行横断面设计，以选取1018名18岁及以上的受访者。使用结构化问卷进行访谈。采用多变量二元逻辑回归在5%的显著性水平下检验HSB与相关因素之间的统计关系。
研究结果显示，51.15%的受访者会及时前往医疗机构就医，而41.33%的受访者会及时向传统治疗师寻求治疗或使用家庭疗法来应对LF症状。家人和朋友、社区志愿者以及对疾病的认知与及时前往医疗机构就医显著相关，而小学教育、社区志愿者以及药品可及性与及时向传统治疗师寻求治疗或使用家庭疗法来应对LF症状显著相关。感知到的耻辱感可能会减少及时前往医疗机构就医的行为，但可能会增加及时向传统治疗师寻求治疗或使用家庭疗法来应对LF症状的行为。
大多数受访者在出现LF症状时，仍倾向于向传统治疗师寻求及时治疗或使用家庭疗法而非前往医疗机构。沟通渠道以及健康信念模型的应用是促进及时从医疗机构进行HSB以及识别阻碍其进行的障碍的重要战略工具。
