A Qualitative Study: Exploring Contextual Factors around Preventive Healthcare Seeking Behavior across the Lifecycle in Lebanon at the Level of Primary Care

In Lebanon, where the healthcare system is largely privatized and focuses more on curative than preventive measures, recent economic and health crises have exacerbated key health indicators, leading to increased prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and falling vaccination rates. Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCCs) are crucial in promoting health awareness and prevention initiatives, yet there is a prevailing inclination among individuals to seek curative rather than preventive care, compounded by a lack of data on preventive healthcare seeking behaviors at the primary care level. A study involving 240 participants across 24 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in 16 randomly selected PHCCs across eight governorates sought to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to preventive healthcare services. Findings reveal an overarching positive perception of preventive services but also highlight significant gaps in knowledge and awareness of such services during critical life stages, including pregnancy, postnatal care, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Participants showed a clear preference for curative services, with noticeable disparities in knowledge and practices influenced by gender, nationality, and the support status of PHCCs. Financial constraints and the fear of disease identification emerged as major barriers to accessing preventive care. To counter these challenges, the study concludes with recommendations for enhanced community awareness campaigns tailored to different genders, ages, and nationalities, the provision of preventive services at reduced costs, and the integration of these services into routine PHCC offerings. Additionally, the implementation of prevention projects at various levels, both within PHCCs and the wider community, is advised to improve the uptake of preventive healthcare services.