Page 82 - GHES-2-4

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
NHIS: Acceptability and preferred benefit package

The preferred benefit package was scored from 5 points Ethical approval for this study was obtained from
representing the “most preferred” to 1 point denoting the the ethics committee of the University of Port Harcourt
“least preferred” in descending order. The mean score Teaching Hospital (UPTH) (UPTH/ADM/90/S.II/VOL.
and standard deviation were then presented in a table. XI/654). Permission was also obtained from the office of the
Furthermore, the cost implication of each package was head of the service and the heads of the various ministries.
explained: the more coverage and services provided, the Informed consent was obtained from the respondents.
higher the premium payment required. Type I benefit
package is the most expensive followed by Type IV, Type V, 3. Results
and Type III, while Type II is the least expensive. The 3.1. Sociodemographic characteristics
premium from the least to the most expensive was found to Table 1 shows that the mean age of the respondents was
vary by approximately 15%. It is also assumed that out-of- 40.60 (±7.33). Most of the respondents were in the age
pocket costs will reduce with the increase in the premium
paid. Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents
Section D questions on the ownership of certain (n=351)
household items and assets, similar to what was done Variables Proportion
in the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. This n (%)
set of questions was used to classify respondents into
socioeconomic classes (The Federal Republic of Nigeria, Age group
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 National 21 – 30 26 (7.4)
Population Commission Abuja, Nigeria, 2019). The assets 31 – 40 156 (43.9)
and household items included source of drinking water; 41 – 50 134 (38.2)
type of toilet facility; ownership of items such as radio, >50 57 (10.5)
air-conditioner, television, refrigerator, power generator, Total 351 (100)
electric fan, motorcycle, bicycle, car, and others; and Mean (SD) 40.60 (±7.33)
ownership of a private residence and land.
Sex
2.5. Data collection and statistical analysis Male 208 (59.3)
An interviewer-administered questionnaire with closed Female 143 (40.7)
and open-ended questions through an android mobile Total 351 (100)
device using the Open Data Kit (ODK) was used. Data were Marital status
collected over a 4-week duration by research assistants in Single 99 (28.2)
October 2018. Afterward, the data were downloaded Married 251 (71.5)
from ODK to Excel and then cleaned and analyzed using Widowed 1 (0.3)
Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 23.
Divorced 0 (0)
Data on sociodemographic variables are expressed Separated 0 (0)
as frequencies and percentages. Socioeconomic status Cohabits 0 (0)
was determined using principal component analysis Total 351 (100)
(PCA) through SPSS. PCA allows the serial conversion of
ownership variables into socioeconomic status. PCA on Education level
SPSS was also used to generate Eigenvector weights for Primary 4 (1.1)
each item of asset. The first component of the PCA was used Secondary 55 (15.7)
to derive weight to form an assets-based socioeconomic Tertiary 292 (83.2)
index, which was used to categorize the respondents into None 0 (0)
five socioeconomic quintiles (q1 – q5): The poorest, poor, Total 351 (100)
middle, rich, and the richest quintile. The lowest class is Religion
the poorest while the highest class is the richest class. The Christianity 351 (100)
measure of inequality was the ratio of the mean of the
poorest socioeconomic group over that of the richest. The Islam 0 (0)
relationship between acceptability and preferred benefit Traditional 0 (0)
package of the NHIS and social class was determined using Total 351 (100)
the Chi-square test with p-value set at ≤ 0.05. Abbreviation: SD: Standard deviation.

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2909