Patterns of Health-Seeking Behaviour and Self-Medication Among Healthcare Professionals in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64917/ejemph/Volume03Issue06-01Keywords:
Health-seeking behaviour, self-medication, healthcare professionals, informal consultations, occupational health, healthcare utilisation, tertiary hospital, Nigeria, behavioural healthAbstract
Background
Healthcare professionals are expected to demonstrate appropriate health-seeking behaviour due to their medical knowledge and access to healthcare services. However, evidence increasingly suggests that many healthcare workers engage in self-medication and rely on informal consultation pathways rather than structured healthcare utilisation. These behaviours may have important implications for occupational health, patient safety, and healthcare system performance.
Aim
This study examined patterns of health-seeking behaviour and self-medication among healthcare professionals in a tertiary health facility in Ekiti State, Nigeria, with particular emphasis on consultation practices, informal healthcare utilisation, and self-medication behaviours.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 healthcare professionals in a tertiary health institution in Ekiti State. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing healthcare utilisation patterns, self-medication practices, and informal consultation behaviours. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations.
Results
The findings revealed that 41.9% of respondents demonstrated improper health-seeking behaviour. Formal doctor consultations remained the most frequently utilised healthcare pathway, although substantial reliance on informal healthcare practices was observed. Self-medication was common among respondents, while informal consultations frequently occurred through phone calls, corridor discussions, and home-based consultations with colleagues. Phone consultations emerged as the most prevalent informal consultation pathway. The coexistence of formal healthcare utilisation alongside self-medication and undocumented peer consultations suggests that healthcare professionals operate within a complex behavioural environment shaped by convenience, occupational pressures, and professional culture.
Conclusion
Improper health-seeking behaviour remains prevalent among healthcare professionals despite their clinical expertise and institutional access to healthcare services. The widespread use of self-medication and informal consultations highlights important occupational and public health concerns. Healthcare institutions should strengthen staff health services, reduce barriers to formal healthcare utilisation, and address organisational cultures that normalise informal care pathways among healthcare professionals.
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