Abstract:
Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive condition where the heart
fails to meet the body’s circulatory demands. Health-seeking behavior is important factors
determining the acceptance of health care and outcomes, especially in chronic conditions like
heart failure.
Objective: To assess health seeking behavior and associated factors among chronic heart failure
adult clients admitted to medical and on chronic follow up clinic at Jimma University
Specialized Hospital, South west Ethiopia, 2016
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional quantitative study design was conducted with a total of
335 patients admitted to medical ward and or on chronic follow up clinic of Jimma University
Specialized Hospital. Consecutive sampling method was used to get the sample. Data was
collected using structured questionnaire. The data was entered, into Epi-data manager version 2.0
and data entry client, data was cleared and exported to SPSS 20.0 for further analysis. Variables
having p-value less than 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were entered into final model for
Multivariable analysis. Variables with p<0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered
statistically significantly associated with health seeking behavior of Chronic heart failure
Result: Out of 335 participants 58.2% of the study participants had poor health seeking
behavior. Distance from health facility was significantly associated health seeking behavior.
Participants with monthly income of less than 500 ETB where less likely to adhere to good
health seeking behavior [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 0.581 (0.35, 0.98)], Poor self care were less
likely to adhere to good health seeking behavior at [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 0.191 (0.11, 0.33)]
duration heart failure less than one year were more likely to adhere to good health seeking at
[AOR (95% CI of OR) = 2.3 (1.12, 4.73) not take their medication as prescribed were more
likely to adhere to good health seeking behavior at [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 8.6(1.86, 39.59)].
Conclusion and recommendation: In this study poor health seeking behavior is experienced in
more than half of participants. In general factors such as adherence to self care behaviors,
attitude, duration of heart failure, income, distance, taking medication and knowledge were
significant factors that determine health seeking behavior of individuals. So that nurses and
managers on study area should work together on factors that affect patients’ health seeking
activities.
