SUITABILITY OF NIGERIA'S EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT FOR UTILIZATION OF PUBLIC HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

fforts now being directed at improving the health of older adults, who are still useful to society and who constitute a large proportion of society, should start with the determination of the suitability of their external environment for healthcare services utilisation. This study was carried out to find out suitability of existing external environment (political, physical, and economic influences)for the utilisation of public orthodox healthcare facilities by older adults in Delta Central Senatorial District. The descriptive survey research design of the ex-post facto type was adopted to study a total population of 4,575 (males = 2, 070 males and females = 2, 505) retired civil servants listed on the Delta State Pensions Management Board as retirees from Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. The purposive sampling technique was used to draw a representative sample size of 400 participants. A validated self-structured questionnaire titled "External Environmental Determinants of the Utilization of Public Health Facilities among Older Adults Questionnaire (EEDUPHFOAQ)" with a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.89 was used to collect data for this research. Obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages. Results showed that though the physical environment was perceived to be suitable for the utilisation of public health facilities by older adults in Delta Central Senatorial District, the political and economic environments were perceived as being impediments to their utilisation by older adults. It was concluded that the political and economic environments of the older adult may be hampering his / her positive health behaviour of appropriately utilising available public health facilities It was recommended, among others that a contributory health insurance in which the government/employer pays the lion share should be mandatorily put in place so that at old age people will continue to utilise public healthcare facilities just as they did in their financially buoyant days.