Title: A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Health Seeking Behavior of Slum Population in Indore District
Authors: Dr Salil Sakalle, Dr Priyanka Bhaskar, Dr Sanjay Dixit
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i5.08
Abstract
Background: The health seeking behavior of a community determines how health services are used and in turn the health outcomes of populations. Factors which determine the health behavior may be physical, cultural or political and socio-economic.
Objective: 1) To assess the preference of people regarding health care services,
2) To know the reasons behind their preference, to find out number of people preferring different health care facilities,
3) To make them aware about the health care programmes available in government hospital as per requirement.
Methodology: The present study is a cross sectional study, conducted in the randomly selected 100 families from low socio-economic group of Indore district for 4 months. Written Informed consent was to be taken from the adults. The study tool of the study is Pre Designed semi structured Questionnaire, Data was entered in excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS Software, appropriate statistical test was applied wherever necessary.
Results: In this study 73% people after falling ill goes to doctor while reaming seeks for other options, 59% population prefers private hospital while remaining goes to govt hospital, 67.8% people who prefer private hospital don’t trust skill and abilities of govt doctor, 38% people don’t know that free drug facilities are available in govt hospital, 78.1 % people who prefer govt hospital don’t find it patient friendly,21.8% more people prefer pvt hospitals because all the modern diagnostic modalities are available there
Conclusion: A health education program is needed to increase the awareness, cleanliness and hygiene and there is a need to improve the doctor patient ratio.
Keywords: health seeking behavior, govt & private hospital.
