TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – i
Approval Page – – – – – – – ii
Certification Page – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – v
Table of contents – – – – – – vii
List of Tables – – – – – – – ix
Abstract – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION – – – 1
Background of study- – – – – – 1
Statement of the problem – – – – – 10
Purpose of the study – – – – – – 13
Research questions – – – – – – 14
Research hypotheses – – – – – 14
Significance of the study – – – – – 15
Scope of the study – – – – – – – 16
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE – 17
Conceptual Framework – – – – – 17
The concept of Health – – – – 18
The concept of Health Information – – – – 22
The concept of Information Needs – – – – 22
Types of Health Information Needs – – – 25
The concept of Human Immuno deficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 32
The concept of Public Library Services – – – – 40
Public Library Services – – – – – 40
Awareness of Information Services – – – 49
Methods of Disseminating Health Information – – 50
Problems Encountered in Providing Public Library Services – 58
Strategies for Enhancing the Public Library Services – – 64
Theoretical Framework – – – – – 70
The Demand Theory – – – – 70
The Health Belief Theory – – – – – 71
Disconfirmation Theory – – – – – 71
Econometric Theory of the Relationship
between Health Information and
Demand for Medical Services – – – – 72
The Information “Use” and User Behaviour Theory – – 73
Empirical Studies – – – – – – 74
Summary of the Review — – – – – 79
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
Design of the study – – – – – – – 81
Area of study – – – – – – – 81
Population of the study – – – – – 82
Sample and sampling technique – – – – 82
Instrument for data collection – – – – 83
Validity of instrument – – – – – 84
Reliability of instrument – – – – – – 84
Method of data collection – – – – – – 85
Method of data analysis – – – – – – 85
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 87
Major findings – – – – – – 100
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDING, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of Findings – – – – – 102
Conclusion – – – – – – 109
Implications of the Study – – – – – 110
Recommendations – – – – – – – 112
Suggestions for Further Research – – – – – 115
Limitations of the Study – – – – – – 115
Summary of the Study – – – – – 116
REFERENCES – – – – – – 119
Appendix “A”: Sample Composition of PLWHA – – 140
Appendix “B”: Letter to the Respondents – – – 141
Appendix “C”: Questionnaire for Public Librarians – 142
Appendix “D”: Questionnaire for PLWHA – – 146
Appendix “E”: Reliability of public librarians – – 150
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
- Mean Rating and standard deviation of the Information needs of PLWHA in Benue State – – – – – – 88
- Mean and standard deviation of responses of public librarians on public library Services in meeting the health information needs PLWHA in Benue State – 89
- Mean and standard deviation of responses of PLWHA on the extend of service of Public Libraries in meeting the health information needs of PLWHA in Benue State 90
- Mean and standard deviation of public librarians on methods employed in meting the health information needs of PLWHA in Benue State- – – 91
- Mean and standard deviation of responses of public librarians on problems encounters in meeting the health information needs PLWHA through public service in Benue State – 93
- Mean and standard deviation of responses PLWHA on problems encounter in accessing health information through public libraries services in Benue State. – 94
- Mean and standard deviation of responses of public librarians on strategies to over come the problems of meeting health information needs of PLWHA through public services in Benue State – 96
- Mean and standard deviation of responses of PLWHA on strategies to over come the process of accessing health information needs of PLWHA through public libraries services in Benue State – 97
ABSTRACT
The study is on meeting the health information needs
of people living with HIV and AIDS through public library services in Benue
State. Five research questions were developed to guide the study. The
descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of
the study was 16,502 and the sample was 748. The instrument for data collection
was the questionnaire. A 46 and 50 items structured questionnaire was developed
for public librarians and PLWHA respectively from literature and used for data
collection. Experts validated the instruments Cronbach alpha method was used in
determining the reliability of the instrument. A reliability coefficient of
.786 and .893 for public librarians and PLWHA respectively were obtained. The
findings of the research shows that PLWHA have health information needs such as
information of treatments of tuberculosis, fever, body itching, diarrhea among
others. Public libraries in Benue
State provide only four
services in meeting the health information needs of PLWHA. These include; photocopying,
loan, reference and current awareness services. The major methods employed by
public libraries in meeting health information needs of PLWHA are: through
newspapers, textbooks, journals/magazines and posters. Several problems
militate against meeting the health information needs of PLWHA, such as:
inadequate fund/budgetary allocation to public libraries, low remuneration to
public librarians, and inadequate staff among others. The recommendations based
on the findings were that, public libraries in Benue
state should acquire health information resources in the areas of the needs of PLWHA
and process same SDI services should be provided by public libraries for PLWHA to
meet their health information needs. Benue State government should provide
adequate funds/budgetary allocations to equip public libraries. Government should
employ more staff. And harmonize the salary structure of the public librarians
alongside with their counter parts in other organizations. Government should
set aside a special grant for PLWHA to alleviate their poverty and encourage
them to access the services of public libraries, more public libraries should
be established in Benue State, to repackage health information in various
formats and translate programmes in local languages for the illiterate PLWHA.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the Study
Health
is the general well being of a people. Every human being desires and hopes for
good health. The World Health Organization (WHO) in Anshi (2007) has defined
health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. According to Pender (2000), health
is the actualization of inherent and acquired human potentials through goal
directed behaviours, competent self-care and satisfying relationships with
others. The health of an individual can be seen as the extent of his or her
continuing physical, emotional, mental and social ability to cope with the
environment. As maintained by Priery
(2006), health is most cherished and takes the upper and central task of not
only the individual, but government and other established groups. WHO (1979),
stated that health is wealth therefore a healthy person is a wealthy person. It
then implies that one who is not healthy is not wealthy.
Remaining
healthy is the priority of every individual .This is because good health is a treasure
of inestimable value. When there is preference of disease, such a health
condition is said to be bad. It has implications for individual and national
economic activities. Indeed, the health of the people not only contributes to
better quality of life but also essential for sustained economic and social
development of a country as a whole. Abiodum and Kolade (2006), asserts that,
people who are ill and weak find it difficult to carry out their
responsibilities. This is why with infirmity people still strive for good
health. Ensuring public health often involves restricting the behavior of
individuals for the good of the individual and the community. However, the
decision on what should be changed is not only medically oriented but involves
social, religious and moral considerations. Adequate and relevant information
provide the informal base for making choices. This is a major component of
health promotion targeting increase in knowledge and information services
relating to health.
The
world is becoming more dynamic and the challenges that are enforced by various
circumstances such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS) have come to accentuate the need for the
improvement and empowerment of the affected people popularly known as People
Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). According to Ijir (2006), chronic diseases
are responsible for 70% of health care problems in Nigeria, particularly in Benue State
with HIV and AIDS scourge ranking top. Medical research and development
activities have been carried out by government and other agencies in finding
solutions to the scourge. Nevertheless, medical research and development
activities alone can not be able to achieve the WHO 1994 concept of health for
all. This has to be accomplished by correspondence action for the
implementation of these activities by using the available information and
resources to gain health.
Information
is indispensable for human existence. Losce (1990) defined information as
knowledge communicated or received concerning particular circumstances.
Okwilagwe in Aju (2007), defined information as an input which reduces the
level of uncertainty in any decision making. With access to information an
individual would be lifted from the state of ignorance, illiteracy and poverty
to a state of enlightenment, posterity and literacy. UNESCO (1980), notes that
information gives the possessor power to influence and dominate those that have
little information. In addition, Daniel (1999), advances that, information is
power, happiness and safety. This indicates that, the advancement of any
society depends on the level of information obtained at regular intervals.
However, societies with little or no information access will suffer health
problems, cultural and technological backwardness that will eventually
aggravate into chronic poverty.
Base
on the above, it has become necessary for a nation to harness the vast amount
of information that exists in the world in order not to tow in the line of
health problems and backwardness. It is also evidently clear that information
is a strong pillar which cannot be ignored by any nation for the benefit of its
citizenry. In essence, every human being at one stage or another needs
information in order to interact with one another and function effectively in
the society. Access to current and relevant information helps an individual to
be lifted from the state of unknown to known. Similarly, Sokari (2006), asserts
that information is needed for men to be liberated from the shackle of
ignorance, misconception, economic stagnation, health problems, social unrest
and political instability. For instance PLWHA, government officials, students
need information as a tool for development in fast growing economy.
Equally
to note, Adeniti (2004), advocates that, everybody needs information to reach
their potential and that the more information is available to a system about
the system and its environment, the more reliable it becomes and greater its
chances of survival. When information is not available at the appropriate time
of need, then its value becomes useless. The most vital information is the
information that will be available at the right time of need to enable the
individual resolve uncertain ties and problems that would help in decision
making process.
Human
beings, according to Sawyerr (2008), have different types of information needs.
Social or pragmatic information needs. The purpose of a library or any
information centre is of course to fulfill some needs for documents and information
for its potential users. Such needs may for example be related to activities
such as educational, recreational or personal development. The concept of
information need in this context is therefore, the desire to acquire new
knowledge or facts about something which is considered as essential and worth
having in order to satisfy the conscience of individuals as well as enable them
to participate fully in societal development.
Looking
at the above, it is obvious that everybody has information needs to meet up
with the tasks that are considered crucial for survival or necessary for the
common good of neighbourhood, community and the nation at large.. The phrase
that knowledge is power may be a cliché, yet in today’s HIV and AIDS pandemic,
PLWHA knowledge is arguably the principal intangible resources that they need
to possess. That is, PLWHA may lack the knowledge of how to get relief in
respect of pains, access to medical care, inadequate knowledge about the
disease, the type of food they may need, where to turn for support among
others. Eze (1999), maintained that, information plays the role of generating
public opinion and sensitizing people’s reaction to issues that affect their
lives. On the contrary, when PLWHA have inadequate information that could sensitize
them to determine their opinion on issues of their health, the consequences
will be imperative. However, this can only be achieved if the process of
disseminating the needed information is effective and useful to the society.
Information
services are carried out in order to spread the authentic news to members of
the society about current changes for proper decision-making and societal well
being. This is making available new knowledge or ideas known to members of the
society so as to enable them improve in their conditions of living as well
develop their environment. Mehra (2006), opines that, the ability to secure
required information by PLWHA is difficult. This results from a variety of
causes including inability to go to places where information may be located,
ignorance of a specific place to get information, ignorance resulting from illiteracy,
language barrier and inappropriate sources of information. Kontumoya (1992),
also noted that, in most countries in tropical Africa,
the national information networks are biased against the lower social group.
That is, most of the information meant for public consumption are disseminated
through newspapers, television or radio stations which are out of reach of the
common man especially the rural dwellers. According to Nwakoahu (1999), a
society stagnates unless it makes constant provision for the injection and
absorption of new knowledge. That is why the public library exists which
constitutes network within the total communicated system whose effective use
depends upon librarian’s understanding of the nature of knowledge and its
importance to both individual and society.
Nelson-Tankor
(2003), observed that the developmental implications of the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS)
pandemic in the Nigerian economic and social relations are enormous and if not
checked, it could reverse the gains already made in social and economic
development of the country. In Nigeria,
HIV and AIDS was first identified in 1985, and reported at an international
conference in 1986. From that period up to the present, there has been a steady
rise in the prevalence of HIV and AIDS from zero percent prevalence. For
instance HIV epidemiological and demographic data released by Federal Ministry
of Health (2001) revealed that HIV and AIDS prevalence has risen steadily over
the past years. It is now a major public health problem in Nigeria, especially
in Benue State. Out of the 20 states in Nigeria that
recorded HIV prevalence in 2005, Benue
State had the highest
prevalence rate of 10%. The state has already surpassed the 5% explosive
prevalence phase. [Federal Ministry of Health, 2005]. Information from Benue
State ministry of health (BSMOH), (2005), shows that out of the total population
of 3,902,638 in Benue State, 238,328 are infected with HIV and AIDS while
25,036 have died.
HIV
and AIDS scourge is now a major public health problem in Nigeria particularly in
Benue State. As such the federal government in the year 2000 set up the National
Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) and directed the states to set State Action
Committee on AIDS (SACA) to put in place preventive measures as well as
treatment strategies including voluntary confidential counseling and testing management
of the impact of HIV and AIDS virus. Being the highest state with HIV and AIDS
prevalence rate in Nigeria, the coordinator of NACA, Professor, Babatunde
Osotimehin offered to erect bill boards conveying HIV and AIDS messages to all the
23 local governments in Benue State as well as produce radio/TV jingles. All
over Benue State, HIV and AIDS is causing
devastation, destroying communities and families and taking away hope for the
future. With the absence of cure, HIV and AIDS diminish quality of life before
it takes away life itself. Its emotional and economic impact on the quality of
life affects the family, friends, and communities. It affects production as
well as household incomes and expenditures. It poses major problems for health
systems and health care practices. It diminishes the capacity of societies to
provide essential services and plan for the future and it threatens good
governance and human security in Benue state. The
people of Benue State are no longer immune to the spread
of HIV and AIDS. Information officials have identified high rates of alcohol
and drug abuse, inadequate healthcare resources and services, high rates of
other sexually transmitted diseases (which increases risk in HIV infection) and
polygamy as important contributions to increasing transmission rates.
Report
from UNAIDS (2005), states that, PLWHA in sub-Saharan countries have special
needs of health information and support services due to such factors as stigma
and discrimination, extreme psychosocial and psychological pressures.
Furthermore, people who are well informed are better able to understand how the
infection is transmitted and measures of prevention that are available to them.
Aboyade (1987) posits that to produce a desired change in human behaviour, the
process by which new information is transferred from one person to another
certainly deserves the most attention. In this regard PLWHA need health
information especially information relating to HIV and AIDS for survival but
hardly knows how to access it. Information may not be accessed by every person
at the time of dissemination; there is need for preservation of information for
future use that can be access by the general public through the public library
services. This is why Ghosh (2005), declared that HIV and AIDS pandemic has brought
challenges that cannot be handled effectively without public libraries.
Achebe
(2005), maintained that public libraries are understandably people’s
university, because they serve all categories of users regardless of age, race,
sex, religion, nationality, language, ideological base or social status. The
public library assembles information of all kinds from countless sources and
places it at the command of the individual user. It sustains individual freedom
of inquiries, the name, the status, the politics, or religion or purpose of any
one of the public library users. Public libraries exist primarily to assist
users in meeting their information needs since they are funded from the public
sources. According to Ajegomogun (2008), public libraries notably provide free
services to anyone who wishes to use them. Such libraries are actively involved
in knowledge acquisition, literacy awareness campaign and readership promotion.
At the same time library serves as centres for information resources and
services. This is a very good
environment for PLWHA to access health information resources and to apply the
information meticulously.
Public
libraries are noted for collecting, organizing and disseminating a wide range
of materials relating to the historical, cultural heritage and provide
information that will enhance the development of the society. Public libraries
assure equal accessibility of information and also provide special services
that will serve the interest of some particular groups of users, such as PLWHA.
Special services such as Selective dissemination of information(SDI) counseling
services, health extension services, current awareness services, indexing and
abstracting services, online and internet services. The libraries have the
mandate to provide appropriate information for people at all levels, such
information could be in print or electronic format, and consequently provide
immediate accessibility in order to facilitate frequent use of information.
Public libraries therefore, have important role to play in providing health
information services to PLWHA in Benue
State. It is obvious that
resources for library users are rarely sufficiently powerful or well enough
organized to exert pressure on libraries to make their services more responsive
to their needs. They also don’t have the power to influence the library
policies more favourably to their needs.
The
public library as information disseminating agency have an enormous role to
address or meet the health information needs of PLWHA through what may be considered as services.
That is by identifying, acquiring and providing for use health documents or
pieces of health information which could best help PLWHA. At the same time,
public libraries often have limited knowledge of the diverse and complex users’
needs. To deliver relevant and effective services, public libraries must have
adequate knowledge of their users and their respective information needs to be
able to ascertain which of the services are suitable to meet a particular need.
Equally important is that users need to be aware of services provided by public
libraries. Even though services may be provided by public libraries, users may not
be aware of such services. This may lead to non use of the services. In this
regards Tones and Tilfors (1994), observed that for people to make use of any
information system an intervention in form of awareness is usually needed. This
can be achieved through the media vis-à-vis information. According to Nolte
(1997), a fundamental purpose of awareness is helping people to know and do
better things they will be doing. As maintained by Ghosh (2005), the turbulent
and challenging information environment calls for continued research to ensure
that the needs of health information of users such as PLWHA are satisfactory
met. It is against this background that
this study attempts to investigate the extent in which public library services
are meeting health information needs of PLWHA in Benue State.
Statement of the Problem
MEETING HEALTH INFORMATION NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH HIV AND AIDS THROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES IN BENUE STATE
