Modern health care seeking behavior at houeshold level in misha woreda hadiya zone south, Ethiopia

Abstract

Back- ground: Making decision to seek modern health care are not fully understood, and many researchers conducts that availability and accessibility of modern health care services are the main factors affecting health care seeking behavior of individuals. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess modern health care seeking behavior at household level. Methods: A community based, cross- sectional study, was conducted in misha woreda, from March 1-30/2013, 680 household heads were involved in the study, the study was conducted in seven randomly selected kebeles, systematic sampling technique was used to identify respondent households, as part of data collection process purposively selected individuals were involved in in-depth interview up to saturation of idea .SPSS window verstion16.0 and thematic method were used. Result;-A total of 680 households including 4114 household members where involved, perceived report of symptoms/disease and utilization of modern health care service for illness was conducted, The prevalence of illness was 233(34.3%) during a recall period of four weeks preceding the interview. the most prevalent sickness in the area were fever, cough with or without sputum, multiple symptoms and abdominal pain with or without diarrhea during study period. Government and privet health care facilities were the most visited during illness. The most (69.5%) perceived access to health care facility whilst (54%) perceived appropriateness of the services for their health and (75.4%) perceived importance of health information to keep their and their family health, regarding the source of health information, HEPs and multimedia were the main source of health information. among factors that hinder modern health care seeking at standard time were (56%) economic problem, (29.5%) shortage of time and using left over drugs. Conclusion: this study showed that sex, educational status, average monthly income, perceived severity of disease and the frequency of health information for household were significantly associated with the household modern health care seeking behavior. Recommendation: health sector, educational sector and local health policy makers should strengthen working together. Government and privet health service providers should strengthen modern health care provision for those who are not able to get health care service due to economic problem. HEPs should develop a health information provision for those who are not able to get health information and increase the frequency of health information based on their need. House hold heads should develop open discussion among male and female household (heads) and family members about modern health care service and utilization of the service. Further exploration is needed for excess use of left over drugs and informal drug providers.