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A spatial analysis of health care accessibility and utilization among rural households in Kogi State, Nigeria

This study was aimed at a Spatial Analysis of Health Care Accessibility and Utilization among Rural Households in Kogi State, Nigeria. Primary data employed in this study were obtained with the aid of well-structured questionnaires. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the selection of respondents. The analytical techniques used in this study included descriptive statistics and Healthcare Accessibility Index. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to describe the sources and uses of healthcare facilities in relation to socio-economic characteristics as well as the level of utilization of health care services. Results obtained in this study revealed that 58% of the respondents had access to health care services while only 42.50% utilized these services. Findings in this study also revealed that 71% of the household heads were males while the remaining 29% were females. However, 41% of the male headed households have access to healthcare services compared to 17% of the female headed households. Furthermore, 71% of the respondents were in their economic active age (≤ 50 years). About 75.55% of the respondents within this age bracket accesses and utilizes healthcare service more than the elderly ones. Exactly 43.50% had no formal education while 6, 23.5, 11.5, and 15.5% had adult, primary, secondary and tertiary education respectively. Thirteen percent (13.0%) of those with primary education had access to health care services while 78.57% out of these utilized the healthcare services. Furthermore, 24.5% of those with no formal education had access to healthcare service while 69.23% of the respondents utilized healthcare services. Majority (40.5%) of the rural households lived 5 to 9 km to a public health center with 21% having access to healthcare facilities and 85.7% utilizing the facilities. Eleven percent of respondents living 4 km from the healthcare service provider have access to healthcare facilities while 90.09% of the respondents utilized it. About 13% of the respondent who lives 10 to 14 km from healthcare service had access while 61.11% utilized the services. Forty-three percent (43.75%) of respondents living more than 14 km to their healthcare providers makes use of the available healthcare facilities. The result, therefore, indicates that utilization of available health facilities increases with proximity to the health centers. Seven percent (7%) of respondents have family size of 1-4 members per household, whereas only 60% of the respondents within this group with access to healthcare facilities utilized it. Furthermore, those with household size above 14 members have the highest health service utilization with 85.71%. This study has shown that there is unequal distribution of health facilities as well as low level of accessibility of household to medical facilities in the study area. To this end, governments at all tiers should ensure equitable accessibility to health care delivery across the rural areas by deploying more medical and Para-medical staffs to the rural areas. Rural development policies should promote the creation of enabling environment to enhance participation in modern health care delivery in rural areas. There is also a serious need for sensitization programme to create awareness about the importance of using modern healthcare facilities among the rural dwellers.