Health Seeking Behaviour Factors Research Articles

How health seeking behavior develops in patients with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study based on health belief model in China.

Type 2 diabetes(T2DM) is a global health problem which is accompanied with multi-systemic complications, and associated with long-term health burden and economic burden. Effective health seeking behavior (HSB) refers to reasonably utilize health resources, effectively prevent and treat diseases, and maintain health. Effective health seeking behavior (HSB) is vital to mitigate the risk of T2DM complications. However, health seeking behavior for T2DM patients remains sub-optimal worldwide. The study aimed to explore the internal logic of how health seeking behavior of T2DM patients develops and the influencing factors of health seeking behavior. With a view to provide a reference basis for improving the health seeking behavior situation of T2DM patients. This study was conducted at an integrated tertiary hospital in China. People who were diagnosed with T2DM, capable of expressing clearly and had no mental illness, were approached based on a purposive sampling. The experience of T2DM and health seeking behavior were collected via in-depth interviews. A theory-driven thematic analysis based on Health Belief Model (HBM) was applied for data analysis. Inductive reasoning was used to identify emerging themes which were not included in HBM. 26 patients with T2DM were included in the current study. Seven themes were identified, including: (1) T2DM diagnosis and severity; (2) T2DM treatment and management; (3) Perceived susceptibility of diabetes progression; (4) Perceived severity of diabetes progression; (5) Perceived benefits of health seeking behavior; (6) Perceived barriers of health seeking behavior; (7) Perception of behavioral cues. Generally, patients with T2DM lacked reliable sources of information, considered T2DM to be slow-progressing and without posing an immediate threat to life. Consequently, they did not fully grasp the long-term risks associated with T2DM or the protective effects of health seeking behavior. This study highlighted the challenges in health seeking behavior for patients with T2DM. It suggested that future interventions and strategies should involve multi-faceted approaches, targeting healthcare providers (HCPs), patients with T2DM, and their support networks. This comprehensive strategy can help patients better understand their condition and the importance of effective health seeking behavior. Ultimately, enhancing their capacity for adopting appropriate health-seeking practices.

Evaluating the effect of hierarchical medical system on health seeking behavior: A difference-in-differences analysis in China.

The unbalanced allocation of healthcare resources and the underutilization of primary care facilities are the core problems that restrict the current healthcare reforms in China. In order to encourage residents to go to primary care facilities, China implemented the Hierarchical Medical System (HMS) in 2015. This study aims to evaluate the effect of HMS on health seeking behavior in China using panel data. Statistics for the study were derived from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, and China health and family planning statistical yearbook 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. We employed the difference-in-differences (DID) model with multiple periods. In total, 61,932 residents were incorporated for a final sample covered 25 provinces. The results indicated that the implementation of HMS had a significantly positive effect on the probability of urban residents going to primary care facilities for contact. However, the effect of HMS was not significant for rural residents. Basic health insurance was a significant factor for directing residents to primary care facilities. Self-assessed health, chronic disease, economic level and educational status were also found to be focal factors of health seeking behavior. In conclusion, the introduction of HMS has led to improved health seeking behavior and is worth putting more effort into. For policy makers, basic medical insurance is still an important health policy that enables systematic health seeking behavior. Initiatives to continue to expand the adjustment range of economic incentives should be adopted to promote the implementation of HMS. However, the effect of HMS in chronic disease is poor and efforts to formulate chronic disease as a breakthrough to HMS should be carried out. Moreover, the government should increase the publicity of HMS.

Social Factors of Health-Seeking Behavior: On Medical Treatment for Elders With Dementia in Oaxaca, Mexico

This article presents data on family caregiving for elders with dementia in Oaxaca, Mexico. Drawing on a year of ethnographic research, this article explores how caregivers engage in health-seeking behaviors and how they choose between biomedical and traditional medical alternatives. While caregivers are primarily concerned to maintain elders’ health, decisions about which medical providers to (not) consult invoke broader social factors that go beyond their relationships with elders, and concern socioeconomic realms of power, as well as broader ideals concerning local tradition and its maintenance in the contemporary world.

Health-Seeking Behavior for Erectile Dysfunction in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is commonly associated with methadone usage. However, little data is known regarding the health-seeking behavior for ED in the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) population. This study aimed to determine the health-seeking behavior of MMT patients with ED who perceived themselves as having ED. We aimed to assess the attitudes and health-seeking behavior, the effectiveness of the treatment and the factors associated with treatment-seeking behavior. Methods: This was an observational questionnaire-based study. Patients were first screened for ED (n = 154) using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). Fifty patients with ED were evaluated for health-seeking behavior for ED. Results: More than half of the patients who thought they had ED (78%) believed their sex life was affected. Most patients (48%) did not seek any information regarding ED. Education level (p = 0.017) and marital status (p = 0.008) were predictive factors of health-seeking behavior. Conclusions: The health-seeking rate among MMT patients with ED needs to be improved. Measures to increase awareness of ED in MMT patients should be taken to overcome the barrier to health-seeking behavior. Health practitioners should take action to screen ED in this population to increase the detection rate and offer appropriate management according to the patients’ needs.

Influencing factors of health seeking behavior among rural residents of Yanchuan County in Yan'an City

Objective To understand the health seeking behavior among rural residents of Yanchuan County in Yan'an City and to analyze its influencing factors. Methods From July 2017 to August 2017, we selected 552 rural permanent residents of Yanchuan County in Yan'an City by convenience sampling. All of them were investigated with the self-designed health seeking behavior questionnaire for rural residents. The binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of health seeking behavior among rural residents. Results When rural residents were ill, 224 (40.58%) rural residents bought medicines for treatment, 216 (39.13%) knew disease related knowledge and 352 (53.01%) rural residents attended rural cooperative medical care. Binary Logistic regression showed that the influencing factors of health seeking behavior of rural residents included ages, monthly income, attending insurance or new rural cooperative medical care, knowing disease related knowledge, diet rules and the proportion of vegetables and meats each meal. Conclusions Health conscious of rural residents is weak; the health seeking behavior is traditional, backward and negative; they lack knowledge on health, medical treatment, health care and emergency treatment and their medical insurance participation is inactive. Government sector should pay attention to health seeking behavior of rural residents, strengthen the development of rural doctor team and clinics in villages and towns, improve medical care system and rural cooperative medical care so as to solve the problems high cost and difficulty of getting medical service among rural residents. Key words: Cross-sectional studies; Health seeking behavior; Rural residents; Influencing factors

Analysis on influencing factors of health seeking behavior of delivery women in Guangdong province

Objective To explore the influencing factors of health seeking behavior of delivery women in Guangdong province. Methods Stratified random sampling method was used, and 1 491 delivery women from primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals were investigated with self-made maternal health seeking behavior questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the impact of environmental factors and population characteristics on health seeking behavior. Results Delivery women with qualified health seeking behavior account for 83.4%. Present pregnancy was planned (OR=2.114), prenatal examination was needed when self-feeling good (OR=2.323), social medical insurance system was socialized medicine (OR=2.755) or medical insurance (OR=1.697), hospital level of secondary hospital (OR=1.568) or tertiary hospital (OR=1.800) were independent positive influencing factors of health seeking behavior. Conclusion The qualified rate of health seeking behavior of delivery women in Guangdong province is low. Delivery women with the following characteristics of low educational level, low family income, uninsured, coming from rural area and delivery in primary hospital need to be guided scientifically at seeking for health. Key words: Delivery women; Health seeking behavior; Influence analysis

Intraindividual change and interindividual differences in factors influencing older women's health-seeking behavior.

Our primary purpose in conducting this study was to examine the factor structure of older women's health-seeking behavior, which we assessed over 100 occasions. This was accomplished with a daily self-report of nutritional, exercise, and adherence behaviors. A secondary purpose was to determine differences in the stability and lability of health-seeking behavior factors. The sample consisted of 4 women in their 60s and 4 women in their 80s. By using P-technique factor analysis, in which the sample size is determined by number of occasions rather than participants, we examined individual factors of health-seeking behavior for variability over time. Both activity and dietary items made up the health-seeking behavior factors of participants who were in their 60s, whereas for participants in their 80s factors comprised only activity items. The stability of most of these health-seeking behaviors indicated that these behaviors may be more trait-like than state-like in these older women.