Factors Influencing Utilization of Health Services Provided in Secondary Schools in Kisubi Parish, Katabi Sub-County, Wakiso District.

Abstract

Introduction: This study was conducted to investigate Factors that affect Utilization of Health Services provided in Secondary Schools in Kisubi Parish, Katabi sub-county, Wakiso District., with the general objective of identifying factors responsible for utilization of health services in Kisubi Parish.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative techniques was applied. Data was collected from 244 participants using self administered questionnaires. Using odds ratios, bivariate analysis was done to assess the effect of individual factors on health services utilization. Logistic regression was then run to assess for the effect of potential confounding variables.

Results: The level of Health services utilization was 87%. School nursing services were the most frequently reported health-care services. Logistic regression results suggested that it was 9 times more likely for participants that reported Parent's approval to use school healthcare services [95% CI 3.35-26.00: P<0.001] than those that reported no Parent's approval and 4 times more likely for participants who had knowledge about school health care services to utilize health care services [95% CI 1.32-10.60: P=0.013], than those without knowledge about health care services.

Conclusions and recommendations: The level of utilization of health-care services is relatively high compared to the national average. Knowledge about health-care services and approval of ones parents were significant predictors of health-care service utilization. The study underscored the need for school health programs to adopt approaches that improve school health services specific knowledge and target the parents in order to promote school health services utilization in line with National objectives for scaling up of school health services utilization.