Healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults in the Ashanti region of Ghana: a study based on the health belief model

Abstract

Background Existing global evidence suggests that informal caregivers prioritize the health (care) of their care recipients (older adults) over their own health (care) resulting in sub-optimal health outcomes among this population group. However, data on what factors are associated with healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults are not known in a sub-Saharan African context. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), the principal objective of this study was to examine the association between the dimensions of the HBM and healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Methods Data were extracted from a large cross-sectional study of informal caregiving, health, and healthcare survey among caregivers of older adults aged 50 years or above (N = 1,853; mean age of caregivers = 39.15 years; and mean age of care recipients = 75.08 years) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between the dimensions of the HBM and healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults. Statistical significance of the test was set at a probability level of 0.05 or less. Results The results showed that 72.9% (n = 1351) of the participants were females, 56.7% (n = 1051) were urban informal caregivers and 28.6% (n = 530) had no formal education. The results further showed that 49.4% (n = 916) of the participants utilized healthcare for their health problems at least once in the past year before the survey. The final analysis showed a positive and statistically significant association between perceived susceptibility to a health problem (β = 0.054, IRR = 1.056, 95% CI = [1.041–1.071]), cues to action (β = 0.076, IRR = 1.079, 95% CI = [1.044–1.114]), self-efficacy (β = 0.042, IRR = 1.043, 95% CI = [1.013–1.074]) and healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults. The study further revealed a negative and statistically significant association between perceived severity of a health problem and healthcare utilization (β= − 0.040, IRR = 0.961, 95% CI= [0.947-0.975]) among informal caregivers of older adults. The results again showed that non-enrollment in a health insurance scheme (β= − 0.174, IRR = 0.841, 95% CI= [0.774-0.913]) and being unemployed (β= − 0.088, IRR = 0.916, 95% CI= [0.850-0.986]) were statistically significantly associated with a lower log count of healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults. Conclusion The findings of this study to a large extent support the dimensions of the HBM in explaining healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Although all the dimensions of the HBM were significantly associated with healthcare utilization in Model 1, perceived barriers to care-seeking and perceived benefits of care-seeking were no longer statistically significant after controlling for demographic, socio-economic and health-related variables in the final model. The findings further suggest that the dimensions of the HBM as well as demographic, socio-economic and health-related factors contribute to unequal healthcare utilization among informal caregivers of older adults in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Spatial Distribution Analysis of Cannabis-Infused Food and Drink Establishments in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand Through Geographic Information Systems

“…Using a spatial distribution map of PM2.5, the best course of action for reducing air pollution by PM2.5 concentrations can be identified. Moreover, according to Agyemang-Duah and Rosenberg [36], the spatial distribution can be used to characterize medical facilities and how they affect people's ability to receive primary healthcare. The hospital bubble analysis map makes it clear that 90% of the communities are not included in Ghana Health's and the WHO's database.…”

The role of gender in health insurance enrollment among geriatric caregivers: results from the 2022 informal caregiving, health, and healthcare survey in Ghana

“…This was to ensure the representativeness and generalization of the study findings. The demarcation of the study area was guided by the geographical location, socio-economic status, and cultural disparities [ 19 ]. Each district in the study area was tied to one of the three categories.…”

“…More districts were selected from the middle zone because most of the districts in the study area are clustered in the middle zone. Detailed information on how simple random sampling was applied to select the study districts and the number of communities included in this study has been reported in a previous study [ 19 ].…”

“…For instance, one plausible reason is the increase in the population of older adults globally [ 17 ] and the need to meet their varied care needs [ 18 ]. In Ghana, like in many other countries, the caregiving role has historically been seen as the responsibility of females, especially when the care receivers are family members such as parents, spouses, and siblings [ 19 ]. However, lately, male involvement in informal caregiving is increasing [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…In Ghana, like in many other countries, the caregiving role has historically been seen as the responsibility of females, especially when the care receivers are family members such as parents, spouses, and siblings [ 19 ]. However, lately, male involvement in informal caregiving is increasing [ 19 , 20 ]. During care provision, caregivers suffer from varied comorbidities, such as physical and mental health issues, which may result from the provision of care [ 21 , 22 ].…”