2024/07/10 by Ajaraogu, Jude, Obasi, O. O.
#Choice #Imo State #Nigeria #medical treatment option #rural #rural-urban #urban
paper · doi:10.60787/tnhj.v24i2.796
Background: The choice of a medical treatment option in the event of illness can make a difference between life and death. This study seeks to explore the determinants of choice of medical treatment options among rural, rural-urban and urban residents in Imo State. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive and analytical survey employed multistage sampling technique in the design. Questionnaire and interview were adopted for data collection and multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: Gender and educational qualification significantly influenced choice of medical treatment options. Other identified determinants of choice of medical treatment options were relative efficiency, easy accessibility, affordability etc. An intriguing result was the fact that native treatment option was the modal choice with regard to fraction; while modern treatment option was the modal choice in the majority of the ailments studied. Also revealed in the study was that native and spiritual healing options enjoyed more patronage than modern treatment option in the rural area. Conclusion: This work studied 28 ailments out of which majority were chosen by the respondents under modern treatment option. Intriguingly, native treatment option was chosen by majority of the respondents in the case of fracture only. Also, the study revealed that the three treatment options were in use across the three residential locations under study, although, spiritual and native treatment options were more prevalent in the rural areas.