Assessing Adolescent Health Care Quality In Ghana‘S Health Care Facilities: A Study Of Adolescent Health Corners In Tema Metropolis

Abstract

Promoting the health and well-being of adolescents is a way of fulfilling their fundamental human rights. It is also a right step towards achieving sustainable development. Ensuring that adolescents have access to quality health care is important in their health promotion. However, many adolescents across the globe do not have access to quality health care. In Ghana, negative provider attitudes, inadequate infrastructure and weak community support for adolescent healthcare have been reported. The researcher aimed at assessing adolescents‘ perceptions of health care quality in Ghana‘s healthcare facilities. The mixed methods research approach and the cross-sectional survey design were employed. Respondents were selected from four Adolescent Health Corners (AHCs) in Tema metropolis, using the simple random sampling technique. In all, three-hundred and sixty-five (n=365) adolescents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS), version 20. Quantitative results were presented using factor analysis, frequency distribution, chi-square and multiple linear regression. Qualitative data were analysed according to emerging themes. Adolescents‘ perceptions of health care quality were found to be satisfactory. Thus, a majority of the respondents perceived health providers as friendly, respectful, non-judgmental and non-discriminatory. Also, respondents had access to health information in the AHCs. Adolescents‘ perceptions were influenced significantly by the following factors; health literacy, facility characteristics, equity and non-discrimination, provider attitude and appropriateness of care. That notwithstanding, some adolescents encounter challenges (i.e. lack of privacy) when accessing health care in the AHCs. It is therefore suggested that managers of the AHCs should implement strategies to help address such challenges. Addressing the challenges can lead to an improvement in adolescents‘ perceptions of health care quality and utilization behavior. Hence, this study provides valuable information for adolescent health care quality improvement in Ghana.