Health Seeking Behaviour Among Scheduled Tribes in Kappatagiri Hill’s Gadag, Karnataka

Background: Tribal groups, who frequently live in isolated and disadvantaged places, have unique patterns of health-seeking that are influenced by their traditional customs and cultural beliefs. One commonality is the dependence on traditional medicine and ceremonies as well as other indigenous healing practices. The community's interconnection is important since decisions are made collectively, which affects the choices people make while seeking health care. One important factor is access to healthcare services; impediments including remote location, inadequate infrastructure, and financial limitations might cause formal healthcare to be delayed or underutilized. Because tribal people are unfamiliar with mainstream healthcare institutions, they may be reluctant to seek medical attention. For this reason, healthcare personnel must be culturally competent. This study was conducted to assess the health seeking behaviour among Schedule tribes (Valmiki Nayaka) of Kappatagiri hills of Gadag District. Objectives: To explore the health-seeking behaviours among scheduled tribes of Kappatagiri Hill’s. Methods: A field-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Kappathagiri village, Kadakol, Hosalli, and Murundi villages of Gadag District. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to choose the study participants. A semi-structured, closed-ended questionnaire was used to obtain the data from October to November 2023. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel, and results were expressed in frequency and percentages. Results: Totally, 119 households were visited, and participants were interviewed. Out of that, one-fourth of the population consults traditional healers, less than 45% prefer home remedies, almost all use traditional medicine, and the majority of the population believes traditional medicine is more effective than modern medicine. Less than 50% of the population faces transportation barriers, and one-fourth faces financial barriers in accessing healthcare services. Half of the population is somewhat satisfied with the healthcare services available to them, and one-fourth of the population opined that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with accessing healthcare services. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents seek traditional medicine. and one-fourth of the population prefers traditional healers when they fall sick, and almost all believe traditional medicine is more effective. Key words: Health Seeking; Behaviour; Tribal health; Health Impact; Health Service