FACTORS INFLUENCING ALTERNATIVE HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG CIVIL SERVANTS

ABSTRACT

This study was primarily designed to investigate factors influencing alternative health-seeking behaviour among civil servants in Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun state. This study, a qualitative one, used an exploratory design to gain insight on alternative health-seeking among the study population. It adopted the purposive sampling method to recruit 13 participants consisting of both males and female academic and non-academic civil servants. The data gathered from the field was analysed with a manual content analysis method. The finding revealed that despite established knowledge on alternative health-seeking the use of traditional herbal herbs and spirituality still prevail among the study population. Income level, religion belief aside knowledge are contributing factors for the existence and use of alternative care among the participants. Based on the findings from the qualitative approach the study recommended the need for the government to improve the welfare of the low salary earners among the civil servants, the study also recommended the need for the government to employ a medical social worker to the health centre in the polytechnic aside the university teaching hospitals for possible engagement of the civil servants for effective social intervention following their ill-health. Furthermore, there is a need for the Nigeria association of social workers (NASOW) and association of medical social workers of Nigeria (AMSWON) at the state level and local level to raise awareness of their roles and services among the civil servants going for health treatment in all government agencies. Hence, there is a need for the government to enforce legal restrictions on all civil servants on the use of alternative health-seeking that can serve as detriment to their health. There is also need for the establishment of a health forum at the institutional level through which medical professional and medical social workers can provide health discussion for both the senior and junior civil servants through which their health issues can be clarified on alternative health-seeking behavior or any other health problems. Finally, the study recommends using a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative for future researchers as the method will complement each.