Health seeking behavior among women in Bhimtar, Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20172144Keywords:
Bhimtar, Health seeking behaviour, Modern health care, Traditional healerAbstract
Background: When assessing and monitoring the health of a population, it is important to describe not only classical mortality and morbidity indicators but also, perceived illness, visits to primary health services, and utilization of the healthcare services provided. Objectives of the study were to determine the health status and factors affecting health seeking behaviour of women.
Methods: A descriptive study was done at Bhimtar, Sindhupalchowk District in Nepal, involving 147 subjects sampled by purposive sampling. Study population consisted of women. Data was collected by house to house interview with pretested questionnaire during month of September 2016. Data was entered and then analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20. Simple measures of statistics like frequency, percentages, means were used to represent the data in tables as a part of descriptive analysis and chi-square test was applied to see the association with dependent variables.
Results: Among 80.9% women who had gynaecological problems, the highest prevalence rate of the disease was low back pain (60.5%) followed by lower abdominal pain (35.2%), dysmenorrhea (27.3%) and menstrual irregularities (27.3%). The first approach of seeking health for the reported illness among women was the traditional healer (51%). Regarding attitude towards modern medicine, 47.6% respondents replied that facilities were not available locally. Similarly regarding hindering factors for not utilizing health services, lack of female doctors (43.75%) and far distance of health care centre (37.5%) were the most common ones.
Conclusions:Higher percentage of women in Bhimtar sought after the traditional healer as the best way for utilizing health services. Modern health care utilization was less because of the distance to be covered during illness and lack of doctors in the health centre.
References
Health seeking behavior in context. Editorial. East African medical journal. 2003.
Giang KB, Allebeck P. Self-reported illness and use of health services in a rural district of Vietnam: findings from an epidemiological field laboratory. Scand J Public Health 2003;31(62):52–8.
Bhandari S, Sayami JT, Sayami M, Kandel BP, Banjara MR. General Health Status of Women of Reproductive Age in Nepal. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2014;12(26):8-13.
BR Pokhrel, P Sharma, B Bhatta, B Bhandari and N Jha. Health seeking behavior during pregnancy and child birth among Muslim women of Biratnagar, Nepal. Nepal Med Coll J. 2012;14(2):125-8.
Annual report. Department of health services. Government of Nepal, Ministry of health and population. 2070/71.
Subba NR. Health Seeking Behavior of Rajbanshi Community in Katahari and Baijanathpur of Morang District, Nepal. J Nepal Health Res Council. 2004;2(2).
National Population and Housing Census 2011 (Village Development Committee/ Municipality) Sindhupalchowk. Government of Nepal National Planning Commission Secretariat. Central Bureau of Statistics. Kathmandu, Nepal. 2014.
List of Health Facilities of 75 Districts. Logistics Management Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, Teku. 2011.
Shahi BB, Rawal LB. Childhood morbidity pattern and health seeking behaviors in Jumla district. Nepal Health Research Council. 2006: 1-49.
Bhattarai S, Parajuli SB, Rayamajhi RB, Paude IS, Jha N. Health Seeking Behavior and Utilization of Health Care Services in the Village Development Committees of Ilam District of Nepal. JCMS Nepal. 2015;11(2):8-16.
Adhikari D, Rijal DP. Factors affecting health seeking behavior of senior citizens of Dharan. J Nobel Coll Med. 2015;4(1):57-63.
Mebratie AD, Van de Poel E, Yilma Z, Abebaw D, Alemu G, Bedi AS. Healthcare-seeking behavior in rural Ethiopia: evidence from clinical vignettes. BMJ Open 2014;4:004020.
Sharma SK, Vong-Ek P. Perceptions and Care Seeking Behavior of Obstetric Complication in Thailand. Kathmandu Univ Med J. 2012;38(2):63-70.
