Access to Public Healthcare Services in Urban Areas in Nigeria: The Influence of Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Urban Population

Background: Ensuring access to healthcare facilities is a high priority need in developing countries. This research aimed to determine the influence of socio-demographic and economic characteristics of the urban population in Nigeria to access to public healthcare facilities. Methods: We conducted a community-based study in 400 households across the three urban areas of Gombe state, Nigeria. Access to healthcare facilities was quantified in a composite index which considers availability, accessibility and affordability. The head of families was interviewed for information related to access and for the socio-demographic and economic status of the residences. The influence of socio-demographic and economic characteristics was determined using a chi-square test with a significance level of <0.05. Results: Most of the population interviewed within the selected urban areas had good access (84%) to public healthcare facilities. Socio-demographic and economic characteristics of household representatives such as age (p = 0.02), religious status (p = 0.00), level of education (p =0 .00), employment (p = 0.00) and possession of healthcare insurance (p = 0.00) were found to significantly influence access to healthcare facilities in urban areas. Conclusion:  Access to public healthcare facilities within the urban areas was good and the study revealed some modifiable socio-demographic and economic factors that influence access. We recommend the intervention to address the factors to further improve access to public healthcare facilities and to achieve universal healthcare coverage.