Comparative assessment of costs of household trips to healthcare facilities in contiguous riverine regions in Rivers State, Nigeria

Physical access to neighbourhood facilities for utilization depends on distance, time and cost factors in relation to location characteristics. In this study the costs of accessing healthcare facilities in island riverine contiguous regions of Rivers State, Nigeria were considered. The study employed the survey research design following quantitative approach for data collection and analyses. Furthermore, the multistage sampling technique employed and 30% (66) communities of total communities of 223 in the study area was purposively determined. Also sample size of (56,131) households was obtained from total population of 305, 289 of the study area as provided by 1991 National Population Census data by application of Krejcie and Morgan Model (1970) principle and 5 persons average household considered. Finally, the random sampling technique was used in selection of communities for administration of questionnaires in the study area. A total of 382 respondents (household heads) were interviewed including key informants (government agencies and professionals). Other survey tools used were photographs, observations, Stock-watch and Geographic Positioning System (GPS) Speedometer. 328 questionnaires were retrieved from the field and considered valid for analysis with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Hypotheses were tested by the application of the multi regression model. It was found in traveling for healthcare, an aggregate of 21.4% of household members in the region monthly made trips in communities with and without PHC facilities with multi-modal transport systems at varied costs.