Conference abstract
Perception of illness and service use among patients attending dental clinic, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2022:13(19).03
Feb 2022.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2022.13.19.879
Archived on: 03 Feb 2022
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Perception of illness, service utilization, oral health, self-medication
Oral presentation
Perception of illness and service use among patients attending dental clinic, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Deborah Ibrahim1,&, Michael Adedigba1
1Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the aim of this study was to identify and describe barriers to oral health service utilization.
Methods: this was a cross sectional questionnaire survey among hospital patients. Two hundred consecutive patients were recruited. The questionnaire used was that of Van der Hooven (2012) with little modifications. This included qualitative questions on demographic characteristics, perceived health status and oral health service use.
Result: the majorities were males 118 (59.0%) and attained tertiary level of education 162 (81.0%). About 194 (97%) did not attend dental clinic because “they feel disease will improve bye-bye”. Forty-three respondents (21.5%) believed that health care is needed when the self-medication does not work. About 165 (82.5%) of the respondents discuss their illness with either their parents or their friends who served in their referral to the dental clinic. Majority of the respondents (119, 59.5%) seek health care when they consider the disease to be harmful (interference with their daily/physicals activities and their jobs).
Conclusion: respondents seek health care due to perception of severity and knowledge, interference with their activities, failure of self-medication and lay referral. There is a need to improve dental awareness among low socio-economic class.
Perception of illness and service use among patients attending dental clinic, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Deborah Ibrahim1,&, Michael Adedigba1
1Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the aim of this study was to identify and describe barriers to oral health service utilization.
Methods: this was a cross sectional questionnaire survey among hospital patients. Two hundred consecutive patients were recruited. The questionnaire used was that of Van der Hooven (2012) with little modifications. This included qualitative questions on demographic characteristics, perceived health status and oral health service use.
Result: the majorities were males 118 (59.0%) and attained tertiary level of education 162 (81.0%). About 194 (97%) did not attend dental clinic because “they feel disease will improve bye-bye”. Forty-three respondents (21.5%) believed that health care is needed when the self-medication does not work. About 165 (82.5%) of the respondents discuss their illness with either their parents or their friends who served in their referral to the dental clinic. Majority of the respondents (119, 59.5%) seek health care when they consider the disease to be harmful (interference with their daily/physicals activities and their jobs).
Conclusion: respondents seek health care due to perception of severity and knowledge, interference with their activities, failure of self-medication and lay referral. There is a need to improve dental awareness among low socio-economic class.
