Knowledge of primary healthcare workers regarding the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Osun State, Nigeria: A rural-urban comparison
Open Access
- 29 June 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AOSIS in African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
- Vol. 13 (1), 8-e8
- https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v13i1.2873
Abstract
Background: There is a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the sub-Saharan Africa, and calls for integration of management of selected NCDs with primary healthcare (PHC) have been unrelenting. Cost-effective interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs can be delivered at PHC facilities in low-resource settings by clinical healthcare workers (HCWs). Aim: This study compared the knowledge of HCWs in PHC facilities regarding the prevention and control of NCDs in rural and urban local government areas (LGAs) of Osun State. Setting: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 400 eligible HCWs recruited using a multistage sampling technique in PHC facilities of six rural and six urban LGAs. Methods: A pretested self-administered case-scenarios questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge of HCWs regarding the prevention and control of three selected NCDs (diabetes, hypertension and chronic respiratory diseases). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. Results: The mean knowledge scores of HCWs regarding the prevention and control of the three NCDs were 17.76 ± 4.41 in rural and 17.62 ± 4.02 in urban LGAs out of 30 maximum scores. The proportion of HCWs with adequate knowledge in the rural LGAs (31.0%) was slightly higher than the urban LGAs (23.0%); however, it was not statistically significant (χ2 = 3.247; p = 0.072). The major determinants of adequate knowledge include cadre of HCWs, location, years in practice with professional certificate, NCD training course attendance and reported experience managing diabetic patients. Conclusion: The HCWs in PHC facilities in rural and urban LGAs of Osun State, Nigeria, had a poor knowledge regarding the prevention and control of NCDs. Training and re-training of less-skilled HCWs in the PHC facilities using relevant WHO NCD protocols and guidelines are imperatives to improve their knowledge about the prevention and control of NCDs.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- The roles, training and knowledge of community health workers about diabetes and hypertension in Khayelitsha, Cape TownCurationis, 2018
- Community health workers for non-communicable diseases prevention and control in developing countries: Evidence and implicationsPLOS ONE, 2017
- Readiness of Ugandan health services for the management of outpatients with chronic diseasesTropical Medicine & International Health, 2015
- Assessment of health service delivery capacities, health providers' knowledge and practices related to type 2 diabetes care in Kinshasa primary healthcare network facilities, Democratic Republic of the Congo.BMC Health Services Research, 2015
- Non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: what we know nowInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 2011
- Prevalence and pattern of hypertension in a semiurban community in NigeriaEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2008
- Improving the prevention and management of chronic disease in low-income and middle-income countries: a priority for primary health careThe Lancet, 2008
- The World Health report 2006 1 : Working together for health 2Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd ,2006
- Hypertension in Sub-Saharan African populations: the burden of hypertension in Nigeria.2006
- Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms Among University Students 15 to 35 Years of Age in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun StateJournal of Asthma, 2006