Health‑seeking behaviour of commercial bus drivers in Uyo, Nigeria
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Abstract
Background: Commercial driving is a highly demanding job which often exposes the drivers to different health problems necessitating treatment. Various treatment options are available to these drivers. The objectives of this study were to assess the health problems and health-seeking practices of commercial bus drivers in Uyo, Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in March, 2020. Data collection was done using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis of data was carried out with IBM SPSS Statistics, version 20.0. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.
Results: A total of 121 male respondents participated in the study. The mean age of respondents was 40.45 ± 10.49 years. More than half 71 (58.7%) respondents had completed secondary education. The most common health problems reported by respondents were low back pain (55.4%), insomnia (55.4%) and body aches (52.1%). The usual sources of treatment were chemist (60.3%), herbal remedies (51.3%), health facility (25.6%) and self-medication (17.4%). Among 32 (26.4%) respondents that ever had fractures, 23 (71.9%) received treatment from bone setters. Care seeking in health facility as reported by the drivers was mainly influenced by treatment cost (43; 35.5%) and waiting time (23; 19.0%).
Conclusion: Commercial drivers in this study obtained treatment more frequently from places outside the health facilities. Health education on advantages of expert medical consultations and treatment in health facilities should be carried out through their transport unions. Furthermore, mechanisms to reduce waiting time and treatment cost in health facilities should be explored for this group of workers.
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