Payment Mechanisms and Financial Burden of Chronic Diseases Among Middle-aged Adults in Abuja, Nigeria

Globally, population ageing and urbanisation have resulted in an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. These chronic diseases impose a substantial level of financial burden on many households. In Nigeria, there is a paucity of data on middle-aged adults’ households facing catastrophic health expenditure. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 middle-aged adults (40–65 years) with chronic diseases using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multistage sampling was used to select respondents. SPSS statistical software version 22 was used to analyse the data, and statistical significance was set at p < .05. The mean age of participants was 48.8 ± 9.4 years. Three-quarters (75%) of them utilised an out-of-pocket payment mechanism, while 25% used various forms of health insurance. At the threshold of 10% of household non-food expenditure, 51.2% of households incurred catastrophic health expenditure. This decreased to 26.0% at 20%, 16.8% at 30% and 11.0% at 40% threshold of non-food expenditure. Catastrophic health expenditure was found to be significantly associated with hospitalisation ( p < .05), employment status ( p < .05), education status ( p < .05), number of hospital visits ( p < .01) and insurance status ( p < .05). This study found that chronic diseases exert a significant financial burden on middle-aged adults and their households in Abuja.