Formal education and its effects on seeking health services among men with prostate disorders at Moi Teaching and Referral Hostial, Eldoret- Kenya

Abstract

Background: Seeking health services is subject to human behaviour, which in turn can be influenced by formal education. We studied formal education and its effects on seeking health service among patients presenting with the three prostate disorders of prostatitis, Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.
Objective: To establish the relationship between formal education and seeking of health services among men with prostate disorders.
Design: Cross sectional study using interviewer administered questionnaire.
Setting: The Urology Clinic of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret-Kenya.
Subjects: One hundred and twenty-six men aged 50 years and above presenting with any of the three prostate disorders during the two years of study.
Results: The years of schooling ranged from 5 to 16 years with the majority (55.9%) being in the category of less than or equal to 7 years. Formal education was found to be positively correlated with knowledge on prostate disorders (p<0.001) and was strongest after primary level of education. The proportion of patients presenting early after the onset of symptoms progressively increased with a rise in the level of formal education. Those with no formal education had the highest numbers of co-morbidities, complications and history of past admissions to hospital. The adverse events were minimal after seven years of schooling and disappeared altogether after 13 years of schooling.
Conclusion: Formal education has positive effects on seeking health services by men with prostate disorders and this is most noticeable after attaining secondary school education and beyond.