TREATMENT-SEEKING BEHAVIOURS FOR HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION AND DIRECT FINANCIAL BURDENS ON PATIENTS IN TERTIARY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OF PLATEAU STATE

Authors

  • N. S. Jimam Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos
  • N. L. Gayus Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos
  • D. A. Dangiwa Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos
  • C. N. Sariem Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos
  • V. Onoja Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos
  • A Finangwai Pharmacy Department, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos

Keywords:

Direct financial burdens, Hepatitis B virus, Patients, Tertiary healthcare facilities, Treatment-seeking behaviour.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus is a major threat to public health worldwide with Nigeria being among the countries having the
highest burden of the disease with a prevalence of 12.2%. The present study aimed to assess the treatment-seeking
behaviours for Hepatitis B Virus infection, their predictors and the direct financial burden of the disease on patients
receiving treatment at some tertiary hospitals in Plateau state. A cross-sectional, quantitative method was used
during the study. Information on hepatitis B treatment-seeking behaviours among the randomly selected hepatitis B
positive patients receiving treatment at the tertiary hospitals in Jos, Plateau state was collected using self-
administered questionnaires. Direct financial costs incurred by patients during the treatment were also collected
using self-reported cost of illness instruments. All descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted through
Microsoft Excel and IBM® Statistical Package for Social Sciences® (IBM-SPSS®) version 25 software. The result
showed most of the respondents (n = 95, 76.6%) sought for care at the hospitals, which is a positive treatment-
seeking behaviour. Nineteen (19) (15.3%) of the respondents stopped treatment without being discharged by
healthcare providers, with the majority of them ((n = 76, 61.3%) continuing with their treatment as recommended by
healthcare providers. The results also suggested that the age (OR = 0.11, p = 0.000) and occupation of the
respondents (OR = 5.76, p = 0.033) as well as consumers’ evaluation from healthcare providers scores (OR =2.52, p
= 0.000) are significant (P < 0.05) predictors of treatment-seeking behaviours. The average direct financial cost of
managing the disease per episode was ₦234,039.84 / 568.61USD, with 80.7% of the cost been direct medical cost
and 19.3% constituting the direct non-medical cost. In conclusion, the study indicated positive treatment-seeking
behaviour among HBV infected patients; with age (years old), occupations, and consumers' evaluation from
healthcare providers’ score as significant positive predictors. The study also revealed high direct medical cost of
managing HBV infection.

Downloads

Published

2024-09-12

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Articles