IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i6p3193-d766721.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Health-Seeking Behavior among Malaysian Adults in Urban and Rural Areas Who Reported Sickness: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Nurain Mohd Noh

    (Centre for Health Equity Research, Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Suhana Jawahir

    (Centre for Health Equity Research, Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yeung R’ong Tan

    (Centre for Health Equity Research, Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia)

  • Iqbal Ab Rahim

    (Centre for Health Equity Research, Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia)

  • Ee Hong Tan

    (Centre for Health Equity Research, Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
    Melaka State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ayer Keroh 75450, Malaysia)

Abstract

Understanding care-seeking behavior among urban and rural populations can help to support the planning and implementation of appropriate measures to improve health in the community. This study aims to determine the factors associated with the health-seeking behavior among Malaysian adults in urban and rural areas who reported sickness. This study used data of Malaysian adults aged 18 years and over from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019; a cross-sectional, national household survey that targeted all non-institutionalized residents in Malaysia. Respondent’s characteristics and health-seeking behavior were described using complex sample descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between potential factors (sociodemographic characteristics, enabling, and health need) and health-seeking behaviors (seeking treatment from healthcare practitioners and self-medication). A total of 10,484 respondents, estimated to represent 18.9 million Malaysian adults aged 18 years and over, were included in the analysis. Prevalence of seeking treatment from healthcare practitioners and self-medication among Malaysian adults with self-reported sickness were 57.3% and 23.3%, respectively. Self-reported sickness among both the urban and rural populations who rated their health as poor to very poor was more likely to seek treatment than those who rated good to excellent. However, among the urban population, those who rated their health as poor to very poor were less likely to self-medicate. Among the urban population, government employees were more likely to seek treatment, and being without formal education significantly increased the likelihood to self-medicate. Among the rural population, those with at least one long-term condition were more likely to seek treatment than those with none. Understanding the factors which influence health-seeking behavior among the urban and rural population could close the gaps in healthcare utilization among the population in Malaysia.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Nurain Mohd Noh & Suhana Jawahir & Yeung R’ong Tan & Iqbal Ab Rahim & Ee Hong Tan, 2022. "The Health-Seeking Behavior among Malaysian Adults in Urban and Rural Areas Who Reported Sickness: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3193-:d:766721
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/6/3193/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/6/3193/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Caryn Mei Hsien Chan & Siew Li Ng & Serena In & Lei Hum Wee & Ching Sin Siau, 2021. "Predictors of Psychological Distress and Mental Health Resource Utilization among Employees in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-15, January.
    2. Goncalves, Judite & Martins, Pedro S., 2018. "The Effect of Self-Employment on Health: Evidence from Longitudinal Social Security Data," IZA Discussion Papers 11305, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Xuefeng Li & Li Deng & Han Yang & Hui Wang, 2020. "Effect of socioeconomic status on the healthcare-seeking behavior of migrant workers in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Yuke-Lin Kong & Jailani Anis-Syakira & Weng Hong Fun & Nur Zahirah Balqis-Ali & M. S. Shakirah & Sondi Sararaks, 2020. "Socio-Economic Factors Related to Drinking Water Source and Sanitation in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Grossman, Michael, 1972. "On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for Health," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 80(2), pages 223-255, March-Apr.
    6. Evans, R.G. & Stoddart, G.L., 1990. "Producing Health, Consuming Health Care," Centre for Health Services and Policy Research 90:13r, University of British Columbia - Centre for Health Services and Policy Research..
    7. Misuzu Fujita & Yasunori Sato & Kengo Nagashima & Sho Takahashi & Akira Hata, 2017. "Impact of geographic accessibility on utilization of the annual health check-ups by income level in Japan: A multilevel analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, May.
    8. R Evans & G Stoddart, 1990. "Producing Health, Consuming Health Care," Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series 1990-06, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
    9. Ming Tsuey Lim & Yvonne Mei Fong Lim & Seng Fah Tong & Sheamini Sivasampu, 2019. "Age, sex and primary care setting differences in patients’ perception of community healthcare seeking behaviour towards health services," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.
    10. Evans, Robert G. & Stoddart, Gregory L., 1990. "Producing health, consuming health care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1347-1363, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Coast, Joanna, 2018. "A history that goes hand in hand: Reflections on the development of health economics and the role played by Social Science & Medicine, 1967–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 227-232.
    2. Cinzia Di Novi, 2010. "The influence of traffic‐related pollution on individuals' life‐style: results from the BRFSS," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(11), pages 1318-1344, November.
    3. Declan French, 2012. "Causation between health and income: a need to panic," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 583-601, April.
    4. Fabio Pammolli & Francesco Porcelli & Francesco Vidoli & Monica Auteri & Guido Borà, 2017. "La spesa sanitaria delle Regioni in Italia - Saniregio2017," Working Papers CERM 01-2017, Competitività, Regole, Mercati (CERM).
    5. Bryant, Toba & Raphael, Dennis & Schrecker, Ted & Labonte, Ronald, 2011. "Canada: A land of missed opportunity for addressing the social determinants of health," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 44-58, June.
    6. Shahin Shooshtari & Carol Harvey & Evelyn Ferguson & Tuula Heinonen & Syeed Khan, 2014. "Effects of Remittance Behavior on the Lives of Recent Immigrants to Canada from the Philippines: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 95-105, March.
    7. Chia-Mei Shih & Yu-Hua Wang & Li-Fan Liu & Jung-Hua Wu, 2020. "Profile of Long-Term Care Recipients Receiving Home and Community-Based Services and the Factors That Influence Utilization in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Huguet, Nathalie & Kaplan, Mark S. & Feeny, David, 2008. "Socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among elderly people: Results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 803-810, February.
    9. Grembowski, David & Bekemeier, Betty & Conrad, Douglas & Kreuter, William, 2010. "Are local health department expenditures related to racial disparities in mortality?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(12), pages 2057-2065, December.
    10. Roudi Nazarinia Roy & Anthony G. James & Tiffany L. Brown, 2021. "Racial/Ethnic Minority Families," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 84-100, July.
    11. Struijs, Jeroen N. & Drewes, Hanneke W. & Heijink, Richard & Baan, Caroline A., 2015. "How to evaluate population management? Transforming the Care Continuum Alliance population health guide toward a broadly applicable analytical framework," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(4), pages 522-529.
    12. Barbara J. Payne & Joan Dawe & Robert G. Evans & Victor W. Marshall & Philippa J. Clarke & Douglas Norris & Janet Hagey & Evelyn Shapiro & Russell Wilkins & Betty Havens, 1997. "Healthy Aging: Insights for Research and Policy," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 23(s1), pages 42-52, Spring.
    13. Eilbert, Kay W. & Lafronza, Vincent, 2005. "Working together for community health--a model and case studies," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 185-199, May.
    14. Cumming, Jacqueline & Scott, Claudia D., 1998. "The role of outputs and outcomes in purchaser accountability: reflecting on New Zealand experiences," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 53-68, October.
    15. Christopher Coutts & Annet Forkink & Jocelyn Weiner, 2014. "The Portrayal of Natural Environment in the Evolution of the Ecological Public Health Paradigm," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, January.
    16. Stephen Birch, 1997. "As a matter of fact: evidence‐based decision‐making unplugged," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 6(6), pages 547-559, November.
    17. Christine Le Clainche & Sandy Tubeuf, 2016. "Nudging, intervening or rewarding," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 15(2), pages 170-189, May.
    18. Camila Guarnieri Ribeiro Bueno & Carla Renata Silva Andrechuk & Margareth Guimarães Lima & Henrique Ceretta Oliveira & Edilson Zancanella & Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros & Tânia Aparecida Marchiori, 2019. "Napping, functional capacity and satisfaction with life in older adults: A population‐based study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(9-10), pages 1568-1576, May.
    19. Bruce Newbold, K., 2005. "Self-rated health within the Canadian immigrant population: risk and the healthy immigrant effect," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(6), pages 1359-1370, March.
    20. Okumu, Ibrahim Mike & Bbaale, Edward, 2016. "Realized Access to Antenatal Care Utilization in Uganda: Household Welfare and Governance Implications," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 4(2), July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3193-:d:766721. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.