Determinants of pattern and degree of utilization of health services in Western State, Nigeria

A survey of the determinants of the pattern and degree of utilization of health services in two divisions of Western State, Nigeria was carried out. There was generally a close similarity between the two divisions in the choice and use of services even though one is "urban" and the other "rural" in terms of socioeconomic characteristics and available health facilities. The study showed that the choice of a particular service was based on a complex of factors, such as age, educational status, type of occupation, place of work, medical cost, the individual's perception of and attitudes towards services or dispensers of service, and the quality and location of the services. The individual effects of age, education, type of occupation or place of work on attitudes towards health services could only be inferred from the study; these need to be empirically investigated and validated. The implications of the determining factors for health planning and public health education are outlined.