Health Care Seeking Behaviour and Utilization of Health Services by Kalingalinga Compound Residents aged between 16years and 60 years in Lusaka City, Zambia

Health Care Seeking and Utilisation by Kalingalinga Residents

Abstract

Health seeking behaviour encompasses activities undertaken to maintain good health, to prevent ill health, as well as dealing with any departure from a good state of health. This study set out to better understand the health seeking behaviour and utilization of health services of the residents in Kalingalinga Compound of Lusaka. The study was guided by the Social cognitive theory. The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) started as the Social Learning Theory (SLT) in the 1960s by Albert Bandura. This study employed a cross-sectional design and identified the socio-demographic and health service-based factors that influence HSB among the residents of study area. Convenience sampling method was used to pick the required sample. 160 subjects were requested to participate in this survey. Interview guides and questionnaires were used to obtain the data from the participants. The quantitative data was coded and analysed using the latest SPSS version for descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were used for data analysis. Pearson’s correlation was computed to find the relationships between different variables. In addition, probability plot was done to show and predict the factors which highly contribute to health seeking behaviour. Thematic Analysis was done for qualitative data. This study established that some respondents' characteristics such as level, household size, occupation and monthly income significantly affected the health seeking behaviour among some Kalingalinga residents. Providing good services, affordability of such services and proximity were considered the most important service characteristics associated with the seeking health seeking behaviour in both public and private healthcare facilities. Study recommends actions to improve the access to healthcare services and quality of care at the health facilities, improve the availability of medicines in public clinics. It is hoped that the introduction of National Health Insurance Scheme in Zambia will provide financial protection for households with lower socioeconomic status in order to encourage use of appropriate healthcare sources during illness episodes.