Demographic and socioeconomic determinants of awareness and utilization of preventive healthcare services in Ilorin, Nigeria

Preventive healthcare services, a critical component of universal health coverage (UHC), has proven to be crucial in the delivery and maintenance of quality health outcomes. However, the rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and infectious diseases in Nigeria underscores the imperative need for preventive healthcare services. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the awareness and utilization of preventive healthcare services in Ilorin, Nigeria. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design among adults aged 18 to 70 years in Ilorin, Nigeria. The data were collected for the period of 3 months (July to September 2024) by trained data collectors. We used semi-structured questionnaires covering topics on the awareness and utilization of preventive healthcare. Descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression statistical tests were conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Out of the 415 (83%) that completed this survey , 286 (68.9%) of the participants were aware of preventive healthcare services, while only 208 (50.1%) utilized it. A total of 95 (45.8%) participants reported their source of awareness to be the healthcare provider. About 1/3 of study participants, 105 (50.5%) visited a primary healthcare center, with 180 (79.6%) utilizing immunization services. A few uninsured study participants, 75 (71.4%) consistently accessed preventive healthcare services. In this study, participants who were insured (AOR = 2.660, 95% CI 1.544–4.583, p = 0.000) were more likely to be aware of preventive healthcare services. However, participants enrolled in health insurance (AOR: 1.234, 95% CI 0.710–2.148, p = 0.456) and healthcare workers (AOR: 1.415, 95% CI 0.823–2.558, p = 0.198) were not significant predictors of its utilization. Nevertheless, individuals aware of preventive healthcare services (AOR: 40.977, 95% CI 17.897–93.824, p = 0.000) were more likely to utilize them. People in the formal sector (AOR: 0.472, 95% CI 0.227–0.984, p = 0.045) have lower odds of preventive healthcare services utilization. In this study, we assessed the awareness and utilization of preventive healthcare services in Ilorin, Nigeria. This study found high level of awareness of preventive healthcare services among participants, but their utilization remains low. This may be due to socioeconomic and demographic constraints, necessitating specialized interventions to boost utilization and, hence, health outcomes in an already resource-constrained environment.