This study aims to assess health insurance uptake and affordability of care among patients with hypertension in a Federal Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria. This was a cross sectional study involving 138 hypertensive patient selected through systematic random sampling technique from the cardiology clinic of a Federal Teaching Hospital. A semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. A significance level of 5% was used. The mean age (standard deviation) of the patients was 57.4 (12.8) years with median (interquartile range) monthly income of ₦46,500.00 (₦55,000.00) [US$129 (US$152.78)]. The health insurance uptake among them was 26.8%. Out of those who had no health insurance cover, 87.2% of them believed it could make their financial burden less and wish to be registered. Hypertensive patients enrolled under health insurance were significantly less likely to face financial difficulty when paying for drugs (p<0.001) and investigations (p<0.001). Additionally, these patients were significantly less likely to deny or defer project(s) in order to pay for their illness (p=0.004) and to have their source of livelihood being negatively affected by this illness (p=0.002). This study found a low health insurance uptake among hypertensive patients, even though most of the patients who had no health insurance cover were ready to enroll. Additionally, health insurance was identified to promote affordability of care among these patients. It is therefore crucial to put in place measures that will increase health insurance coverage among these patients.

Background: The governments of many countries have taken steps to avert the spread of COVID 19. The gradual relaxation of the lockdown in Nigeria might be counter-productive if not properly managed. The best means to reduce and stop transmission is for the public to be adequately informed about the disease and its preventive measures. This research assessed the knowledge of COVID-19 and practice of preventive measures along with its predictors among Nigerian residents during the ease of the lockdown. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1421 adult residents of Nigeria. Data were collected between 6th and 20th September, 2020, using a semi-structured online questionnaire adapted from previous studies. IBM SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Pearson's Chi-square and logistic regression were used to determine the predictors of preventive practices. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 27.5 ± 9.1 years. A very large proportion (98.8%) of the respondents had a good knowledge of the disease (score of ≥4 out of 6 variables) and the internet (70.1%) was the major source of their information. However, only 57.6% of them had good practice of preventive measures of the disease (score of ≥3 out of 4). Predictor of good practice of preventive measure included female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.626; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.078–3.319), being married (AOR = 2.177; 95% CI = 1.568–3.023), and possessing tertiary and postgraduate level of education (AOR = 1.813; 95% CI = 1.082–3.036 and AOR = 2.102; 95% CI = 1.206–3.664, respectively). However, residents in local government headquarters and other villages as well as towns (AOR = 0.541; 95% CI = 0.388–0.756 and AOR = 0.587; 95% CI = 0.350–0.983, respectively) have less likelihood of engaging in good practice of preventive measures. Conclusion: Majority of the research participants had good knowledge of the disease, while about half take part in good preventive practices measures. Predictors of the practice measures included sex, level of education, place of residence, as well as marital status. Therefore, targeted interventions should be directed to the males, those who reside outside the Federal Capital Territory and state capitals, and other high-risk groups as found by this study to reduce the risk of disease contraction during this period.

This study aims to assess health insurance uptake and affordability of care among patients with hypertension in a Federal Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria. This was a cross sectional study involving 138 hypertensive patient selected through systematic random sampling technique from the cardiology clinic of a Federal Teaching Hospital. A semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. A significance level of 5% was used. The mean age (standard deviation) of the patients was 57.4 (12.8) years with median (interquartile range) monthly income of ₦46,500.00 (₦55,000.00) [US$129 (US$152.78)]. The health insurance uptake among them was 26.8%. Out of those who had no health insurance cover, 87.2% of them believed it could make their financial burden less and wish to be registered. Hypertensive patients enrolled under health insurance were significantly less likely to face financial difficulty when paying for drugs (p&lt;0.001) and investigations (p&lt;0.001). Additionally, these patients were significantly less likely to deny or defer project(s) in order to pay for their illness (p=0.004) and to have their source of livelihood being negatively affected by this illness (p=0.002). This study found a low health insurance uptake among hypertensive patients, even though most of the patients who had no health insurance cover were ready to enroll. Additionally, health insurance was identified to promote affordability of care among these patients. It is therefore crucial to put in place measures that will increase health insurance coverage among these patients.

No abstract