The Effect of Indigenous Health Education on Health-Seeking Behaviours of the Mbororo Communities in Mezam Division North West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate how indigenous health education affects the health-seeking behaviours of the Mbororos in their communities in Mezam Division. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design using an explanatory sequential mixed method. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, while focus group discussions and interview guides were used to collect qualitative data. Questionnaires were filled by 500 Mbororos, selected using a simple random sampling technique, while 36 Mbororo leaders and elders and 3 healthcare providers were purposefully selected, making a total of 539 respondents. The data were analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for Windows, where descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were obtained. Equally, SPSS was also used for regression analysis and tested the effects between the independent and dependent variables. The qualitative data were analysed using the thematic analysis method. The findings showed that indigenous health education practices had a positive effect on health-seeking behaviours towards traditional therapy but were statistically insignificant (p=0.354). From another perspective, the qualitative data, which complemented the findings, showed that indigenous health education had an effect on health-seeking behaviours towards traditional therapy among the Mbororos. The study supports the view that the Mbororo communities in Mezam Division and beyond should develop a more broad-mindedness for conventional medicine and rush for appropriate diagnosis and treatment before complementing traditional treatment. Integration of modern and traditional medicine is recommended. In addition, the healthcare providers should be accommodating and culturally competent and apply a culturally congruent approach to treatment.