HEALTH INFORMATION NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/fjjc8743Keywords:
Health, Information, Elderly, NeedsAbstract
This study examined the health information needs, sources, barriers, and demographic influences affecting elderly residents in Nsukka.The descriptive design was adopted for the study. A mixed method approach was used for data collection. A sample size of 700 elders was selected through the multi-stage sampling technique. Data collection was by are two primary instruments: a structured questionnaire titled Health Information Needs of Elderly People Questionnaire (HINEQ) and key informant interview and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) Guide. Experts in public health and gerontology validated the instrument. A reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to test hypotheses. Qualitative data from interviews and FGDs were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results shows that information about hypertension/Blood pressure (78.9 %) is the most health information need by the elderly in Nsukka LGA of Enugu State. The most common sources of health information which were accessed by elders were radio (72.6 %) and from health workers (70.0%). Key challenges faced by the elderly include low literacy (60.0 %), complexity of information (47.6 %), and lack of access to media or technology (45.0 %). There is a significant relationship between education level and access to health information-seeking behaviour. Also, gender has significant influence on family/friends (p-value = 0.001) and religious leaders (0.003) as source of health information.
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