Determinants of Health Utilization in Zambia: A Case study of Kabwe District in Central Province Zambia

This study sought to investigate the key determinants of health care utilization in Kabwe District, Zambia. The analysis was structured around variables such as monthly household income, distance to health facility, health insurance coverage, and the availability of skilled health personnel. The study employed descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic linear regression techniques. Bivariate analysis showed significant associations between health care utilization and both health insurance (p = 0.005) and monthly household income (p = 0.001). The logistic regression model demonstrated good fit overall (Omnibus Test p = 0.040; Hosmer and Lemeshow p = 1.000), but individual predictor estimates were unstable due to small sample size and lack of variation. A supplementary linear regression model indicated that the presence of skilled personnel was statistically significant (p = 0.025), while income and insurance showed marginal significance. The findings of this study highlight several important insights into the dynamics of health care utilization in Kabwe District: Health insurance coverage plays a critical enabling role in determining whether individuals seek medical care. Those with insurance are significantly more likely to access services. Monthly household income is also a crucial determinant. Low-income households may be discouraged from seeking health services due to cost-related barriers. Distance to health facilities was not statistically significant in the final regression models but emerged as a key concern in descriptive statistics. A large proportion of respondents live considerable distances from health centres, suggesting that geographic access remains a practical challenge. The presence of skilled health personnel had a significant but counterintuitive relationship with utilization in the linear regression model, possibly due to sample bias or measurement issues.