Health Status, Access and Utilization of Health Services in Health Resource Poor Environment: Evidence from a Suburban Community in Nigeria

Introduction: Health care planning in low-and-medium-income countries can be intellectually demanding. However, users’ centric planning approach is intuitively promising to enhance utilization, resource allocation, and strengthening of the health system. This study examines the relative importance of health status and access on intention to use the health services and the mediating role of prior experience and perceived quality of care on utilization intention. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey method in a suburban location in Nigeria with administration of a questionnaire on a random sample of voluntary and nonremunerated participants. The study utilized structural equation model that encompasses the relationship between these variables based on survey data from five hundred and nineteen (519) respondents. Results: The study found that access was a stronger determinant of intention to use health services than self-rated health status; in addition, negative prior experiences in the health system was found to be a disincentive to intentions to use health services. Conclusion: It seems of benefit to initiate and encourage programs that seek to improve the health care professionals’ competence in management of individual-health facilities contact experience and strengthen the bond between perceived health status and responsive attitude to use health services. Health facilities planning approach need to consider the location models that facilitate physical access and seek to deconstruct administrative barriers to obtaining care.