Cultural Practices and Health Seeking Behaviors among the Mbororos in Mezam Division

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how cultural practices affect health seeking behaviours of the Mbororos in their communities in Mezam Division. Precisely, indigenous health education, indigenous health beliefs and traditional medicine preference were perceived as capable of influencing health seeking behaviours of the Mbororos. The study employed a cross sectional survey research design using an explanatory sequential mixed method. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaire while focus group discussions and interview guides were used to collect qualitative data. Questionnaires were filled by 500 Mbororos, selected using simple random sampling technique while 36 Mbororo leaders and elders and 3 healthcare providers were purposefully selected, making a total of 539 respondents. The data were analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for windows where descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were gotten. Equally SPSS was also used for regression analysis and tested the effects between the independent and dependent variables. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis method. The findings showed that cultural practices had positive effects on health seeking behaviours towards traditional treatment of Mbororos in Mezam Division from both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Indigenous health education practices had positive effect on health seeking behaviours towards traditional treatment but was statistically insignificant (p=0.354). Indigenous health belief had a statistically significant effect on health seeking behaviour towards traditional therapy at 1% level (p = 0.000). Also, traditional medicine preference had a significant effect on health seeking behaviour towards traditional therapy at 1% level (p = 0.000). On another perspective the qualitative data which complemented the findings showed that indigenous health education; indigenous health beliefs and traditional medicine preference had effects on health seeking behaviours towards traditional therapy among the Mbororos. The study supports the notion that the Mbororo communities in Mezam Division and beyond should develop more tolerance for conventional medicine and rush for appropriate diagnosis and treatment before complementing with traditional treatment. Integration of modern and traditional medicine is recommended. In addition, the healthcare providers should be accommodating, culturally competent and apply a culturally congruent approach in treatment.