Health information-seeking behaviour of pregnant women at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Health information is a vital aspect of antenatal care. Health seeking behavior is largely influenced by the availability, accessibility and reliability of such information. In resource-poor nations, there exist strong inclinations to informal sources of information which may pose a threat to accessing qualitative health care. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey of pregnant women attending the ante-natal clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan between 1st of September, 2015 and 30th April, 2016. Data collection was via a structured questionnaire which was then analyzed. Descriptive statistics were generated and presented as frequency tables, bar and pie charts. Results: One hundred and one pregnant women participated in the study. A significant proportion (95.1%) was literate. The mean age of the participants was 32.04 ± 2.34 years. Books and magazines such as “Baby Wise, and The Mama's Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth" were the most sought after sources of formal information (96 respondents) while the internet (65 respondents) was the more popular source for daily information. While information from health workers especially the physician was the most valuable, attitude of these health care givers was the most important limitation to seeking health information. Conclusion: With the increasing availability of internet services in Nigeria, a paradigm shift has become inevitable with our findings of about 65% of patients visiting the internet on a daily basis. There is therefore a need to develop a friendly and accommodating atmosphere for seeking health information at various antenatal health posts in Nigeria.