Examining health information source-selection, access, and use by men in rural areas of south-east Nigeria: mapping culturally appropriate health information provision.

Emele, Chikezie Daniel

Abstract

The provision of accessible and usable health information is vital for making informed health decisions and embracing active and preventative health behaviours (such as reporting of symptoms, early screening and seeking medical help). Previous research in this area has focused on health-related information seeking behaviour and use of information by citizens of developed countries and within urban geographical locations. The common thread from existing research within the context of developing countries, particularly in Africa, is the need for health information to be provided in a way that considers the diverse cultural perspectives and characteristics of rural communities; regarding both the content and the design of health information services. Considering the cultural aspects is important. However, there is little or no work that has considered the provision of health information that is culturally and locally appropriate. This research aims to investigate the health information behaviour of men in rural Nigeria and explore the local sociocultural aspects that relate to the provision of prostate cancer information. The research extends the theoretical framework of Johnsons Comprehensive Information Seeking model to include health-related information design heuristics that address aspects of cultural appropriateness within rural contexts and particularly within the setting of developing countries. A qualitative approach was adopted as it was considered appropriate for this research. The research utilised 35 semi-structured interviews and 5 focus group discussions with men (aged 35 or over) residing in rural areas of Nigeria. Participants shared their experiences with health-related information seeking and use, the barriers they encounter and the role that culture and rurality play in that process. Findings show that within rural Nigeria, culture and religion play a vital role in shaping the health information behaviour of men. There is a lack of knowledge about important health issues that affect men, such as prostate cancer. The study documents that internal, interpersonal sources and oral-based communication methods are preferred in rural communities. Based on the findings, a revised model of health information behaviour that extends the existing scholarly perspectives to include cultural context and information use component in rural communities in Nigeria was presented.

Citation

EMELE, C.D. 2018. Examining health information source-selection, access, and use by men in rural areas of south-east Nigeria: mapping culturally appropriate health information provision. Robert Gordon University, PhD thesis.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 3, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 3, 2018
• Keywords: Information behaviour; Health information; Information use; Cultural appropriateness; Accessibility and usability; Prostate cancer; Rural men; South East Nigeria
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/3113
• Award Date: Jan 31, 2018