Factors influencing health-seeking behavior among Sudanese immigrants in Saudi Arabia.
BMC Public Health
; 24(1): 1666, 2024 Jun 22.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38909181
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Health-seeking behavior (HSB) involves any action or inaction taken by individuals who perceive themselves to have a health problem or illness aimed at finding appropriate medical treatments. Studies suggest a positive relationship between the availability and quality of health services and their utilization. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health-seeking behavior among Sudanese immigrants in Saudi Arabia, to improve healthcare access and health outcomes.METHOD:
A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting Sudanese residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Participants were recruited using convenient sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically. A total of 494 participants were recruited for the study.RESULTS:
This study showed that the majority of the participants (66.6%) visited a primary healthcare center when faced with a medical problem. However, the prevalence of self-medication in the past three months was 45.7%. Significant factors influencing health-seeking behavior included age (OR [95% CI] 1.032 [1.000-1.066]) and lack of health insurance (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [1.00-1.02], p = 0.019).CONCLUSIONS:
This study emphasizes the importance of understanding healthcare-seeking behavior among immigrant groups, particularly Sudanese immigrants in Saudi Arabia. It highlights the significance of insurance as a determinant of healthcare-seeking behavior and calls for reforming current policies to reduce disparities in accessing healthcare services.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/
Emigrants and Immigrants
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
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Female
/
Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
/
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
BMC Public Health
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: