Prevalence,perception and health seeking behaviour of typhoid fever patients in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Typhoid fever overtime has posed a grave threat to public health globally leading to quest for knowledge towards the environment and known modes of contraction of the disease. Amongst other studies examined on Typhoid fever, this study, explored the prevalence, perception and health seeking behaviour of Typhoid fever of Iwo residents. Health belief model and functionalism theories provided theoretical framework for the study while the research design was descriptive. Iwo was purposively selected because hospital records show 6/10 are diagnosed with Typhoid fever in Iwo. The poor use of the major source of water (Aiba stream) is another salient issue. Yamane (1967) sample size determination was used to select 379 participants comprising males and female citizens of Iwo out of total population of population of 191,348. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on the various variables used in the study. Quantitative data were analysed using simple percentages and descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were content analysed. Respondents mean age was 15 ± 1.0 years, 51.9% were females and 35.1% had WASCE or its equivalent as highest educational qualification. There was a high frequency of occurrence of 54.9% of Typhoid fever suffered by respondents. The major cause of Typhoid fever was bacterial infection showing (61.2%). Typhoid fever is treated most with herbal remedies by respondents (19.3%). Desire to patronise modern medical health centers is crippled by availability of drugs or it’s expensiveness. The need to guard against re occurrence and a possible endemic situation of the Typhoid disease is the sole responsibility of everyone in the community; this is by fostering good health habits, providing adequate infrastructure and enlightenment.