Health Seeking Behaviours as Predictors of Hypertension Among Traders in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined health seeking behaviour as predictor of hypertension among traders in Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for this study while the instrument for data collection is self developed and structured questionnaire with reliability coefficient of 0.702. The population for this study is the people of Osun State. A total of two hundred and ten (210) respondents were sampled out of which one hundred and eighty three (183) fully completed and retuned their questionnaires giving a response rate of 87.1%. Three hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages was used to analyze the demographic data of the respondents while the hypotheses were analyzed using regression analysis and t-test. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level. The result showed that there is significant joint contribution of health seeking behaviours to hypertension among traders in Osun State, Nigeria with herbal cure having the highest relative contribution. The study further revealed that there is gender disparity in health seeking behaviour. Consequent upon which it was recommended that concerted public enlightenment should be embarked upon to help people understand illness causation.

Keywords: Health seeking behaviour, high blood pressure, hypertension, risk factors.