KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH RELATED AGEING PROBLEMS AND HEALTHCARE SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN JOS NORTH, PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This work is on knowledge of health related ageing problems and healthcare seeking behaviour among older adults in Jos North, Plateau State. A survey research design was used and the population of this study comprises 255 older adults in five Jos North communities as at the time of the collection of data for the study, which lasted about 6 weeks. All 255 questionnaire forms were collected back for the study. The instrument for the study is a self-structured questionnaire designed to collect information from the respondents. This was validated by 3 experts that are not below the rank of a senior lecturer from the Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Jos. A copy of the draft was given to them for the purpose of face and content validation, appropriateness of item, clarity of statement in the instrument and whether or not the items are related to the subject under study. Necessary corrections and observations were duly made. The observation done by the experts were duly followed. The corrections gave rise to the instrument that was used for the collection of information of the study which was pretested using 35 adults that were not part of the main study and the reliability coefficient of the instrument was established at 0.823, Kuder Richardson formula 20 and the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient method of checking the internal consistency of an instrument were adopted for establishing the reliability of the instrument which was considered very high and was therefore used for the main study. It was recommended among others that this result be sustained through constant health education and sensitization of the older adults.