EFFECT OF RELIGIOUS DOMAIN ON HEALTHCARE SEEKING BEHAVIOR AMONG THE ADOLESCENTS IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/nnel.v8i5.1253Keywords:
RC, HSB, youth, southeast, NigeriaAbstract
Research has emphasized the relevance of good healthcare, and several variables have been identified as constraints to health-promoting behaviors. The present paper highlight the role of the religious domain on healthcare-seeking behavior among adolescents in Enugu state. Two hundred and forty-one respondents conveniently selected from different religious environments in Enugu state participated in the study. The respondents completed a self-report measure of health-seeking behavior. A cross-sectional research design was employed in the study. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS, Version 23). Linear regression was performed to determine the variation in HSB based on the religion domain. The result of the analysis revealed a statistically significant interaction between religious domain and HSB, F (1,239) = 41.38, p < 0.05. The adjusted R2 indicated that the religious domain contributed about 12.1% of the variation in HSB. The finding has implications for policymakers and healthcare providers.
References
Abrokwah, R., Aggire-Tettey, E. M., & Naami, A. (2020). Accessing healthcare in Ghana: Challenges encountered and strategies adopted by persons with disabilities in Accra. Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v31i1.888
Adam, V., & Aigbokhaode, A. (2018). Sociodemographic factors associated with the healthcare-seeking behavior of heads of households in a rural community in Southern Nigeria. Sahel Medical Journal, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/1118-8561.232781
Adebiyi, A., Obaro, S., Ayede, I., Uchendu, O., Falade, A., & Asuzu, M. (2014). Healthcare-seeking behavior for fever in a rural community. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2014.03.661
Agardh, A., Tumwine, G., & Östergren, P. O. (2011). The impact of sociodemographic and religious factors upon sexual behavior among Ugandan university students. PLoS ONE, 6(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023670
Aham-Onyebuchi, U. O., & Atulomah, N. O. (2020). Psycho-cognitive predictors of eye healthcare-seeking behavior among secondary school students in southwest Nigeria. Journal of the Nigerian Optometric Association, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/jnoa.v22i1.4
Ahmed, S. M., Adams, A. M., Chowdhury, M., & Bhuiya, A. (2000). Gender, socioeconomic development, and health-seeking behavior in Bangladesh. Social Science and Medicine, 51(3), 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00461-X
Aigbokhaode, A. Q., Isah, E. C., & Isara, A. R. (2015). Health seeking behavior among caregivers of under-five children in Edo. Seejph, 8(February).
Alhanawi, M. K., Chirwa, G. C., Kamninga, T. M., & Manja, L. P. (2020). Effects of financial inclusion on access to emergency funds for healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 13. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S277357
Anjum, S., Ishaque, S., Fatima, H., Farooq, W., Hano, C., Abbasi, B. H., & Anjum, I. (2021). Emerging applications of nanotechnology in healthcare systems: Grand challenges and perspectives. Pharmaceuticals, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14080707
Ashenafr, A., Karim, A. M., Ameha, A., Erbo, A., Getachew, N., & Betemariam, W. (2014). Effect of the health extension program and other accessibility factors on care-seeking behaviors for common childhood illnesses in rural Ethiopia. Ethiopian Medical Journal, 52, 57–64.
Atchessi, N., Ridde, V., Abimbola, S., & Zunzunegui, M. V. (2018). Factors associated with the healthcare-seeking behavior of older people in Nigeria. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2018.07.015
Atuyambe, L., Mirembe, F., Annika, J., Kirumira, E. K., & Faxelid, E. (2009). Seeking safety and empathy: Adolescent health-seeking behavior during pregnancy and early motherhood in central Uganda. Journal of Adolescence, 32(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.10.012
Bakhtiari, A., Yadollahpur, M., Omidvar, S., Ghorbannejad, S., & Bakouei, F. (2019). Does Religion Predict Health-Promoting Behaviors in Community-Dwelling Elderly People? Journal of Religion and Health, 58(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0710-3
Bapolisi, W. A., Karemere, H., Ndogozi, F., Cikomola, A., Kasongo, G., Ntambwe, A., & Bisimwa, G. (2021). The first recourse for care-seeking and associated factors among rural populations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11313-7
Bradley, K. L., Goetz, T., & Viswanathan, S. (2018). Toward a contemporary definition of health. Military Medicine, 183. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy213
Budu, E. I., Seidu, A.-A. I., Kwabena Ameyaw, E. I., Agbaglo, E., Adu, C., Commey, F., Sekyi Dickson, K., Setorwu AddeID, K., & Opoku Ahinkorah, B. (2021). Factors associated with healthcare-seeking for childhood illnesses among mothers of children under five in Chad. PLoSONE, 16(8), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254885
Card, A. J. (2017). Moving Beyond the WHO Definition of Health: A New Perspective for an Aging World and the Emerging Era of Value-Based Care. In World Medical and Health Policy (Vol. 9, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.221
Coe, K., Keller, C., & Walker, J. R. (2015). Religion, Kinship and Health Behaviors of African American Women. Journal of Religion and Health, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9784-0
Costagliola, C., strianese, diego, Di Benedetto, rita, D’Aponte, A., & dell’omo, roberto. (2020). The Covid-19 Pandemic Puts Us in Front of the Vexata Quaestio: Health is a Right or a Privilege? SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3584996
Dessio, W., Wade, C., Chao, M., Kronenberg, F., Cushman, L. F., & Kalmuss, D. (2004). Religion, spirituality, and healthcare
Eke, P. C., Ossai, E. N., Eze, I. I., & Ogbonnaya, L. U. (2021). Exploring providers' perceived barriers to utilization of antenatal and delivery services in urban and rural communities of Ebonyi State, Nigeria: A qualitative study. PLoS ONE, 16(5 May). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252024
Falaki, F. A., & Jega, R. M. (2019). Perception of illness and health-seeking behavior among Fulani in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Nigeria. International Archives of Medical and Health Research, 1(3).
Fidan, E., & Çelik, S. (2021). Factors affecting medical healthcare-seeking behaviors of female patients according to their stage of being diagnosed with breast cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13436
Fletcher, J., & Kumar, S. (2014). Religion and risky health behaviors among U.S. adolescents and adults. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2014.03.018
Gäbler, G., Lycett, D., & Hefti, R. (2017). Association between health behaviors and religion in Austrian high school pupils—A cross-sectional survey. Religions, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel8100210
Garcia, G., Ellison, C. G., Sunil, T. S., & Hill, T. D. (2013). Religion and Selected Health Behaviors Among Latinos in Texas. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9640-7
Gupta, V. B. (2010). Impact of culture on healthcare-seeking behavior of Asian Indians. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 17(1).
Gustafsdottir, S. S., Fenger, K., Halldorsdottir, S., & Bjarnason, T. (2017). Social justice, access, and quality of healthcare in an age of austerity: users' perspective from rural Iceland. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 76(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2017.1347476
Gyimah, S. O., Kodzi, I., Emina, J., Cofie, N., & Ezeh, A. (2013). Religion, religiosity, and premarital sexual attitudes of young people in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Biosocial Science, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932012000168
Hardin, J. (2018). Embedded Narratives: Metabolic disorders and pentecostal conversion in Samoa. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12368
Hashemi, G., Wickenden, M., Bright, T., & Kuper, H. (2020). Barriers to accessing primary healthcare services for people with disabilities in low and middle-income countries, a Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. In Disability and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1817984
Horton, S. E. B. (2015). Religion and health-promoting behaviors among emerging adults. Journal of Religion and Health, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9773-3
Jain, R., & Agarwal, C. (2016). A study of factors affecting health-seeking behavior for childhood illnesses. Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development, 7(1), 215–220. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2016.00050.4
Kang, M., Park, L. Y., Kang, S. Y., Lim, J., & Kim, Y. S. (2020). Religion and health behaviors in primary care patients. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.4082/KJFM.18.0107
Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2001). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues (5th ed.). Psychological Testing: Principles, Applications, and Issues (5th Ed.)., 44.
Krahn, G. L., Robinson, A., Murray, A. J., Havercamp, S. M., Havercamp, S., Andridge, R., Arnold, L. E., Barnhill, J., Bodle, S., Boerner, E., Bonardi, A., Bourne, M. Lou, Brown, C., Buck, A., Burkett, S., Chapman, R., Cobranchi, C., Cole, C., Davies, D., … Witwer, A. (2021). It's time to reconsider how we define health: Perspective from disability and chronic condition. In Disability and Health Journal (Vol. 14, Issue 4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101129
Krause, N., Hill, P. C., Emmons, R., Pargament, K. I., & Ironson, G. (2017). Assessing the relationship between religious involvement and health behaviors. Health Education and Behavior, 44(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198116655314
Latunji, O. O., & Akinyemi, O. O. (2018). Factors influencing health-seeking behavior among civil servants in Ibadan, Nigeria. Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine, 16(1).
Leonardi, F. (2018). The Definition of Health: Towards New Perspectives. International Journal of Health Services, 48(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731418782653
Loosli, K., Davis, A., Muwonge, A., & Lembo, T. (2021). Addressing antimicrobial resistance by improving access and quality of care—a literature review from east Africa. In PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (Vol. 15, Issue 7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009529
Mushtaq, K., Hussain, M., Afzal, M., & Gilani, S. A. (2020). Factors Affecting Health Seeking Behavior and Health Services in Pakistan. National Journal of Health Sciences, 5, 30–34. https://doi.org/10.21089/njhs.51.0030
Mwase, I. (2015). Social capital and household health-seeking behavior for children in urban neighborhoods: The case of Khayelitsha in Western Cape, South Africa. The University of Cape Town.
Odimegwu, C. (2005). Influence of religion on adolescent sexual attitudes and behavior among Nigerian university students: affiliation or commitment? African Journal of Reproductive Health, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.2307/3583469
Ogunlesi, T. A., & Olanrewaju, D. M. (2010). Sociodemographic factors and appropriate healthcare-seeking behavior for childhood illnesses. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 56(6), 379–385. https://doi.org/10.1093/tropej/fmq009
Ojifinni, O. (2012). Reproductive healthcare-seeking behavior among women in the informal sector in a Nigerian city. Contraception, 86(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2012.04.047
Okojie, P. W., & Lane, R. (2020). Health care options and factors influencing health-seeking behavior in a rural community in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. Christian Journal for Global Health, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v7i2.335
Olenja, J. (2003). Editorial: Health seeking behavior in context. In East African Medical Journal (Vol. 80, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.4314/eamj.v80i2.8689
Oluwole, E. O., Agha, O. O., Ogunyemi, A., & Bakare, O. Q. (2020). Perception and Healthcare seeking practices regarding dysmenorrhea among public secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria. Babcock University Medical Journal (BUMJ), 3(2). https://doi.org/10.38029/bumj.v3i2.46
Onu, D. U., Onyedibe, M. C. C., Ugwu, L. E., & Nche, G. C. (2021). Relationship between religious commitment and academic dishonesty: is self-efficacy a factor? Ethics and Behavior, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2019.1695618
Onyekwelu, J. (2019). Health-seeking behavior of medical directors in Nigeria. The Nigerian Journal of General Practice, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/njgp.njgp_8_18
Owoyemi, A., & Ladi-Akinyemi, T. (2017). Health-seeking behavior for infants by caregivers in a semi-urban area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Health Sciences, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/njhs.njhs_27_16
Qoronfleh, M. W. (2020). Health is a political choice: why conduct healthcare research? Value, importance, and outcomes to policymakers. Life Sciences, Society and Policy (Vol. 16, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40504-020-00100-8
Rashidi Fakari, F., Hajian, S., Darvish, S., & Alavi Majd, H. (2021). Explaining factors affecting help-seeking behaviors in women with urinary incontinence: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-06047-y
Richardson, E. W., & Stoneman, Z. (2015). The road to membership: The role of resilience in seeking and maintaining membership in a faith community for families of children with disabilities. Journal of Disability and Religion, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/23312521.2015.1093442
Saylor, C. (2004). The Circle of Health: A Health Definition Model. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010104264775
Shaikh, B. T., & Hatcher, J. (2005). Health seeking behavior and health service utilization in Pakistan: Challenging the policymakers. In Journal of Public Health (Vol. 27, Issue 1, pp. 49–54). https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdh207
Sinai, I., Anyanti, J., Khan, M., Daroda, R., & Oguntunde, O. (2019). Demand for women's health services in northern Nigeria: A literature review. In African Journal of Reproductive Health (Vol. 23, Issue 1).
Smith, D. J. (2004). Youth, sin, and sex in Nigeria: Christianity and HIV/AIDS-related beliefs and behavior among rural-urban migrants. Culture, Health, and Sexuality, 6(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/13691050410001680528
Somefun, O. D. (2019). Religiosity and sexual abstinence among Nigerian youths: Does parent religion matter? BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6732-2
Steffen, P. R., Hinderliter, A. L., Blumenthal, J. A., & Sherwood, A. (2001). Religious coping, ethnicity, and ambulatory blood pressure. Psychosomatic Medicine, 63(4). https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200107000-00002
Tanimola, M. A., & Owoyemi, J. O. (2009). Healthcare-seeking behavior in Anyigba, North Central, Nigeria. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(2).
Togonu-Bickersteth, F., Aransiola, J. O., Oyetunji-Alemede, C. O., Ekundayo, O., & Oluwaleimu, O. (2019). Social support and healthcare-seeking behavior of older persons in Nigeria. Innovation in Aging, 3(Supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igz038.518
Unger, J. P., Morales, I., De Paepe, P., & Roland, M. (2020). A plea to merge clinical and public health practices: reasons and consequences. In BMC Health Services Research (Vol. 20). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05885-0
Usman, N., Ibrahim, M., Joshua, A., Mohammed-Idris, Z., & Zubairu, H. (2020). Factors influencing health-seeking behavior among residents of Basawa community, Sabon Gari l.g.a. Kaduna state, Nigeria. Kanem Journal of Medical Sciences, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.36020/kjms.2020.1401.001
Webair, H. H., & Bin-Gouth, A. S. (2013). Factors affecting health-seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Yemen. Patient Preference and Adherence, 7. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S51124
Who, 2016. (2016). WHO | Constitution of WHO: principles. Who, April 1948.
Worthington, E. L., Wade, N. G., Hight, T. L., Ripley, J. S., McCullough, M. E., Berry, J. W., Schmitt, M. M., Berry, J. T., Bursley, K. H., & O'Connor, L. (2003). The Religious Commitment Inventory-10: Development, refinement, and validation of a brief scale for research and counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.50.1.84
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 International Journal of Advance Research in Education & Literature

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.