Impact of Geographical Proximity on Health Care Seeking Behaviour in Northern Oman
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2008, Vol 8, Issue 3
Abstract
Despite its impact on health policy, the relationship between geographical proximity and health care seeking has received scant attention in the medical literature. Tis paper aims to evaluate the relationship between geographic proximity and health care usage behaviour among patients seeking medical consultation in the northern region of Oman. Methods: During 2006- 2007, data was collected via face-to-face interviews among 428 randomized patients seeking medical consultation in various primary health care centres in the northern region of Oman. Te association between geographical proximity as a reason to seek health care and other predictors was also analysed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Te data suggest that preference for geographical proximity as a reason for seeking health care is strongly associated with marital status, previous exposure to traditional medicine and health education, as well as history of immunisation. Conclusion: Tis finding supports the view from elsewhere that geographical proximity remains a strong catalyst for care seeking in Oman. Te psychosocial factors affecting care seeking are discussed.
Authors and Affiliations
Ahmed Al-Mandhari| Departments of Family Medicine & Public Health, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Samir Al-Adawi| Departments of Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Ibrahim Al-Zakwani| Department of Pharmacy, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Mohammed Al-Shafaee| Departments of Family Medicine & Public Health, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Liyam Eloul| Stanford University, USA
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP13832
- DOI -
- Views 312
- Downloads 12
Does Sickle Cell Disease Protect Against Diabetes Mellitus? Cross-sectional study
Objectives: Te co-existence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and sickle cell disease (SCD) is rare. Tis study aimed to explore whether SCD patients have the same DM prevalence as the general population in a country with a hig...
Understanding the Influenza A H1N1 2009 Pandemic
A new strain of Influenza A virus, with quadruple segment translocation in its RNA, caused an outbreak of human infection in April 2009 in USA and Mexico. It was classifed as Influenza A H1N1 2009. Te genetic materia...
Traumatic Acute Brain Herniation through the Ear in a Child Concealed compound fracture
A seven-year-old girl presented to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman, with a history of having been hit by a motor vehicle. After this, she had right-sided cerebrospinal fluid otorrhoea, and a week later, brain...
Steroid Cell Tumor
Neurology Research in Saudi Arabia Urgent call for action
Objectives: Research activities in Saudi Arabia are promoted at the governmental and institutional levels. However, the output and quality of research conducted in the feld of neurology has not yet been measured quanti...