Health-Seeking Behavior and Its Determinants Among Hypertensive Patients in Selected Public Hospitals, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Background Health-seeking behavior refers to the actions or inactions individuals take when they perceive themselves to have a health issue or illness, seeking an appropriate remedy. The national prevalence of hypertension among adults aged 15-69 years is 19.2%. Limited context specific evidence exists on behavioral, sociocultural, and health system factors influence poor health seeking-behavior. Understanding Health-seeking behavior is crucial for identifying the health needs and priorities of a population, which in turn addresses these needs and prevent the worsening of health conditions. Objective This study aimed to assess health-seeking behavior and associated factors among hypertensive patients at selected government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to April 30, 2024, across four public hospitals in Addis Ababa. A total of 214 participants were selected using convenience sampling. A structured data collection tool adapted from previous studies was used to collect data from participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression identified factors associated with health-seeking behavior. Results The overall prevalence of good health-seeking behavior of participants was 47.7%. The findings indicated that educational status, presence of comorbidities, age, and income significantly influenced health-seeking behavior, specifically, participants with a degree or higher education were significantly ore likely to seek health care (AOR=6.25, 95% CI 1.38-28.29), history of coronary artery disease (AOR=2.70, 95% CI:2.28-27.98). Age 20-40 years (AOR=1.14, 95%CI: 0.34-3.88), and income (AOR=1.13, 95% CI: 0.26-4.94). Conclusion Health-seeking behavior among hypertensive patients in Addis Ababa was suboptimal, indicating that a considerable proportion of participants demonstrated suboptimal engagement with recommended care. Education, and coronary artery disease significantly influenced health-seeking behavior, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting awareness, and access to affordable healthcare are recommended.