Key result
Higher education is linked to ~6-fold higher odds of good health-seeking behavior among hypertensive patients.
Why the study?
Limited context-specific evidence exists on behavioral, sociocultural, and health system factors influencing poor health-seeking behavior among hypertensive patients in Ethiopia.
Cross-Sectional (n=214)
Yes
Odds Ratio: 6.25 (95% CI 1.38–28.29)
Less than half of hypertensive patients in Addis Ababa public hospitals demonstrated good health-seeking behavior, highlighting a need for targeted awareness interventions.
Suboptimal health-seeking behavior in hypertension; hypothesis-generating for education and CAD history as correlates, needing prospective validation.
Background: Health-seeking behavior refers to the actions or inactions individuals take when they perceive themselves to have a health issue or illness, seeking an appropriate remedy. The national prevalence of hypertension among adults aged 15-69 years is 19.2%. Limited context specific evidence exists on behavioral, sociocultural, and health system factors influence poor health seeking-behavior.Understanding Health-seeking behavior is crucial for identifying the health needs and priorities of a population, which in turn addresses these needs and prevent the worsening of health conditions. Objective: This study aimed to assess health-seeking behavior and associated factors among hypertensive patients at selected government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to April 30, 2024, across four public hospitals in Addis Ababa. A total of 214 participants were selected using convenience sampling. A structured data collection tool adapted from previous studies was used to collect data from participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression identified factors associated with health-seeking behavior. Results: The overall prevalence of good health-seeking behavior of participants was 47.7%. The findings indicated that educational status, presence of comorbidities, age, and income significantly influenced health-seeking behavior, specifically, participants with a degree or higher education were significantly ore likely to seek health care (AOR=6.25, 95% CI 1.38-28.29), history of coronary artery disease (AOR=2.70, 95% CI:2.28-27.98). Age 20-40 years (AOR=1.14, 95%CI: 0.34-3.88), and income (AOR=1.13, 95% CI: 0.26-4.94). Conclusion: Health-seeking behavior among hypertensive patients in Addis Ababa was suboptimal, indicating that a considerable proportion of participants demonstrated suboptimal engagement with recommended care. Education, and coronary artery disease significantly influenced health-seeking behavior, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting awareness, and access to affordable healthcare are recommended.
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Siraj et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=214). Degree or higher education vs. Lower educational status was evaluated on Good health-seeking behavior (AOR 6.25, 95% CI 1.38-28.29). Having a degree or higher education was significantly associated with good health-seeking behavior among hypertensive patients (AOR 6.25; 95% CI 1.38-28.29), which had an overall prevalence of 47.7%.
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