A cross cultural study of the health-seeking behaviours of Nigerians from the perspective of Nigerian care providers: challenges for collaboration

Previous studies show that health provider’s beliefs and values can influence the therapeutic process. Evidence also suggests there is increased polarisation between secular and spiritual understandings of illness aetiology, with most treatment approaches becoming antagonistic to each other and care providers lacking adequate skills needed in handling the complexities involved in patients’ illness conditions. This qualitative study focused on the experiences and perceptions of Nigerian clergy and health professionals towards understanding the determinants of health seeking behaviours among Nigerians with a view to enhancing healthcare utilisation through collaboration among different care providers. Data collection was based on 3 focus group discussions conducted in Nigeria with a total of 18 participants. Thematic Analysis (TA) was used for data analysis. Findings showed that care providers perceived religious cure methods as predominantly used by Nigerians, a choice that is viewed as a potential barrier to healthcare utilisation and necessitates the urgency for a culture-sensitive and integrative health intervention through clergy-health professionals’ collaboration.