EVALUATING THE UTILIZATION OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES AMONG WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA
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Abstract
Background: Widespread utilization of healthcare services among women of childbearing age is a major factor in reducing maternal mortality and promoting health status. The study was conducted to ascertain and evaluate the utilization of primary Healthcare services among women of childbearing age in Obudu LGA, Cross River State, with the hope of x-raying the factors affecting the utilization of those services at the PHCs level.
Methodology: This study is a cross-sectional study. Using a multistage sampling method to select, 410 women who met the inclusion criteria aged 15-49 years from 5 health facilities in this study. The data so obtained was checked for errors and omissions and later fed into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 to generate frequency and proportion. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics and presented in frequency tables.
Results: The study participants were women of child bearing age (15-49 years) among which 29.3% were in the age of 35-39years, 60.4% were married, 45.4 had attained secondary school education and 48.8% were farmers. The majority of the respondents agreed that they have heard of Primary Health Care Services such as general outpatient care, immunization services before. The respondents agreed utilizing general outpatient services, antenatal Services, Immunization Services, family planning but disagreed with the utilization of delivery services, post-natal services, and treatment of minor illness. Factors that negatively influence utilization of primary health care service were distant to the health facility, transportation method, and treatment decision by husband, preferred choice of a health facility, inadequate staff and high cost of services.
Conclusion: It is concluded with recommended that health education, provision of community based health insurance scheme and other community based health activities would help improve the uptake of primary health care services.
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