Examining the association between exposure to mass media and health insurance enrolment in Ghana

Abstract

Although previous studies have explored the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana, very little attention is paid to the influence of mass media exposure on NHIS enrolment. Yet, understanding this linkage is important, particularly due to the critical role of mass media in disseminating health information and shaping people's health perceptions and choices. Using data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we employed logistic regression analysis to understand the relationship between NHIS enrolment and exposure to print media, radio, and television. Our findings indicate that women with more exposure to radio (OR = 1.23, P < 0.01) and television (OR = 1.24, P < 0.01) were more likely to enroll in the NHIS than those with no exposure. For men, more exposure to print media was associated with higher odds of enrolling in the NHIS (OR = 1.41, P < 0.01). In conclusion, all 3 types of media may be helpful in promoting NHIS enrolment in Ghana. However, given that the relationship between media exposure and enrolment in the NHIS was gendered, we recommend that policymakers should pay attention to these dynamics to ensure effective targeting in NHIS media campaigns for increased enrolment into the scheme.

Hepatitis B knowledge among women and men in the upper west region of Ghana: What sources of health information matter?

“…Second, traditional gendered roles and notions of masculinity may have worked overtime to make men less responsive to health information and increasingly alienated from health messaging by health professionals and programs. On the other hand, women's reproductive roles have shaped out to make them primary healthcare givers in households, and therefore the target of most health information education sessions 28,40 . These findings are generally consistent with the work of Smidt, 41 who discusses the role of religion as a form of social support that provides opportunities for employment and access to health information to improve members' health and wellbeing.…”

“…The fact that most health messaging in Ghana is carried out in the official English language, it may be difficult for those with no formal education to independently digest information on HBV transmission without the assistance of health workers. As observed by Gyimah et al, 40 formal education is vital for health information dissemination and exposure.…”

Determinants of Enrolment and Renewing of Community-Based Health Insurance in Households With Under-5 Children in Rural South-Western Uganda

“…Turning to access to information, we find that access to information increases the odds of enrolment as well as renewing membership in CBHI. Availability of information has been previously studied before in Ghana 71 and Burkina Faso. 72,73 In Burkina Faso, access to information was studied through an information, education and communication campaign while in Ghana it was studied through listening to radio, television or newspapers.…”

Examining purchasing reforms towards universal health coverage by the National Hospital Insurance Fund in Kenya

“…Third, limited awareness of the new benefits and premiums by the poor, elderly, unemployed, informal sector workers, people in the rural areas and those with disabilities due to varying access to mass media and NHIF service points, a policy implementation issue, led to variations in enrolment, access to care and unnecessary OOP payments. Studies in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Ghana have shown that awareness of insurance schemes affects participation and enrolment [56,[60][61][62] as well as service utilisation among enrolees as seen in India [63]. A guiding principle for purchasers is that communication of UHC-inspired reforms should inform the population of their entitlements and obligations [2,64] through public provision of detailed but simplified information on included and excluded services and the associated levels of OOPs [30,65].…”