Using Anderson’s model of health service utilization to examine use of services by adolescent girls in south-eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated the use of health services by adolescent girls using Anderson’s model of health utilization. Age was examined as a predisposing factor, parental support, parental communication and type of reproductive health facility was examined as enabling factors while emotional condition was examined as a need factor. We expected that that parental support and parental communication will influence adolescents’ use of reproductive health services. Results showed that age, emotional condition and type of reproductive health facility predicted the odds of adolescents using reproductive health services. Contrary to expectations, parental support and communication did not predict adolescents’ use of reproductive health services. Findings are discussed in relation to previous empirical studies on parenting and use of reproductive health services.

Keywords

• Anderson model
• health utilization
• parental support
• parental communication
• adolescent girls
• reproductive health services
• Nigeria