Understanding Poor Healthcare Utilisation Among Healthcare Workers: Insights from Clinical and Non-clinical Staff in Ondo State, Nigeria

Healthcare workers are central to delivering quality care, yet many struggle to attend to their own health due to heavy workloads, long hours, and a culture that normalizes self-treatment. This study examined healthcare-seeking patterns and determinants of service utilisation among clinical and non-clinical workers in tertiary hospitals in Ondo State, Nigeria, using a comparative mixed-methods cross-sectional design involving 460 participants. Quantitative data were collected through pretested interviewer-administered questionnaires, complemented by qualitative insights from Key Informant Interviews, with analysis conducted using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, logistic regression (p<0.05), and thematic analysis with NVIVO 14. Findings showed that clinical workers were generally younger and exhibited poorer health behaviours compared to non-clinical staff, with inappropriate health-seeking behaviour high in both groups but more pronounced among clinical workers (87.4% vs. 80%). Utilisation of available health services was similarly poor, slightly lower among non-clinical workers (83.9% vs. 82.2%). Predictors of better healthcare utilisation among clinical workers included being on regular medication, appropriate health-seeking behaviour, and having health insurance, while among non-clinical workers, ever consulting a doctor and good health-seeking behaviour significantly increased utilisation. Overall, despite perceiving themselves as healthy, both groups demonstrated poor health-seeking patterns and underutilisation of available services, highlighting the urgent need for policies and institutional strategies that promote preventive care, routine screening, and a healthier workplace culture for all healthcare workers.