INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION BEHAVIOUR ON THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV INSOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA
Women play an important role in human reproduction. However, they need optimal reproductive health and quality of life to effectively perform this role. The scourge of Human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV) has become a global health challenge that is infecting more women than men, in spite of global awareness programs and drug management. HIV infection has adverse effect on the Reproductive Health (RH) of Women Living with HIV (WLH), hence they require adequate information to cope with the challenges. Incidentally, these women may not always seek and use available information to adequately cope with their challenges. The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of information behavior on the reproductive health of women living with HIV in South-West, Nigeria.
The study adopted a survey design. The population was 3,018 WLH who have attended three tertiary health institutions in South-West, Nigeria for at least six months. The sample size of 341 was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s table. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the participants. An interviewer- administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the reliability test ranged from 0.85 to 0.86. A response rate of 95% was achieved. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions.
Findings showed that 42.2% represent new emerging HIV infection of less than five years. Findings also revealed that on the basis of the criterion mean of 2.5, RH status of WLH was just fair (x̅= 2.43). Result further revealed that respondents exhibited information behavior to a moderate extent with a mean score of information seeking (x̅= 2.58), information use (x̅= 2.53) and information avoidance (x̅=1.90). Information behavior significantly influenced the reproductive health (Adj. R 2 = 0.119, F (3,319) =15.448, p<0.05) of WLH. Information seeking (R 2= 0.017, β = 0.20, p <0.05, t (323) = 2.16) and information use (R2 = 0.53, β = 0.386, p <0.05,
t (323) = 3.65) had weak but positive influence on RH. Information avoidance had a negative but significant influence on the RH (R2= 0.063, β = -0319, p <0.05, t (323) = -4.37).
The study concluded that reproductive health of WLH could be enhanced by better information behavior. The study recommended that governments and healthcare providers should intensify HIV awareness programs and encourage respondents to improve their information seeking and use behavior. WLH should not avoid information that does not synchronize with their previous beliefs about child bearing and breastfeeding as this could impact their health and life negatively.