•Health Seeking Behaviour of Patients with Skin Disorders in Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: To determine and compare the health seeking behavior for common skin disorders of an urban and rural community of Kano, Nigeria Material and Methods: A multistage random sampling was used to select two Local Government Areas (an urban and a rural), each comprising three wards. Structured interviews were conducted to elicit information on the health-seeking behaviour of household members. Results: Total 164 respondents (82 respondents each from rural and urban areas) were used for the study. The age range was 16 - 82 years, the mean age for both groups was 38.9 years +12.9. There are statistically significant more urban respondents with educational attainment above primary school compared to rural respondents. The predominant job in the rural area is farming. The following diseases are more important to the rural populace: vitiligo, pyoderma and scabies; while tinea capitis, scabies and acne vulgaris are more important to urban dwellers. Conclusion: The bulk of skin cases in both rural and urban settings are seen by traditional healers, medicine vendors or \auxiliary health workers have knowledge gaps in dermatology skills. Most of these skin diseases are preventable, curable and controllable problems. The capacity of nondermatologist workers should be improved to recognize common skin diseases. Furthermore referral system should be established such that difficult cases can be referred to dermatologist.