DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH CHECK-UP PRACTICE AMONG WOMEN IN A LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC SETTING IN IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The practice of health check-up among women in a poor urban 
community was investigated using semi-structured questionnaire 
administered to 500 women aged 20 years and above selected by 
systematic random sampling technique. Inadequate practice of 
health check-up among women was identified. Only 92 (18.4%) of 
them reported having health check within the year preceding the 
survey. The practice was associated with the type of health 
services patronised by respondents, perception of health as being 
poor, older age, having "a regular clinic to go when sick" and a 
regular doctor/health personnel (p<0.005). The health check 
reported were mainly blood pressure measurement and clinical 
breast examination by 15.4% and 23.6% of the respondents 
respectively. Only 1.6% of the women have had Pap smear test 
done. It is concluded that education programmes emphasizing the 
need for all women to have regular health check-up irrespective of 
age and health status would be of potential benefit to women's 
health.