Predictors of willingness to patronize traditional bone setters: a cross-sectional study among heads of households in Abakaliki Metropolis, Southeast Nigeria.

Introduction: the traditional bone setters provide services that are commonly associated with complications that could be life-threatening. Nevertheless, these do not affect the proportion of people who patronize traditional bonesetters. This study aimed to determine the predictors of willingness to patronize traditional bone setters among heads of households in Abakaliki Metropolis, Southeast Nigeria. Methods: this was a community-based cross-sectional study. A four-stage sampling design was used to select 420 heads of households from Abakaliki Metropolis, Nigeria. Information was obtained using a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire which was developed by the researchers. The study employed Chi-square test and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression. Results: less than a third of the respondents, 32.4% were willing to patronize traditional bone setters in the future and the major reasons included reduced treatment cost, 45.6% and good treatment services, 29.4%. Predictors of the willingness of heads of household to patronize traditional bone setters in the future included being aged 30-39 years, (AOR=0.5, 95%CI: 0.2-0.9), being in low socio-economic class, (AOR=2.0, 95%CI: 1.2-3.3), having patronized traditional bone setters before, (AOR=12.5, 95%CI: 7.5-20.8) and being in support of surgeons and bone setters working together, (AOR=2.7, 95%CI: 1.6-4.4). Conclusion: cost and good treatment services play roles in the patronage of bone setters. An appreciable number of respondents are willing to patronize them in the future. There is the need for bone setters to concentrate on areas of competence bearing in mind that there are measures of good in their services. They should be trained on good referral practices.