THE ROLE OF HEALTH LITERACY, SOCIAL INFLUENCE, AND PERCEIVED AFFORDABILITY IN TIMELY HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION FOR CHILDREN IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The factors influencing parental healthcare seeking for children in Pakistan include perceived affordability, health literacy, and social influence. The research employs a survey-based approach with 200 parents of children under the age of 12. The reliability of the measurement tools was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha with a very good value of 0.942. Finally, the results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that health literacy, social influence, and perceived affordability were significant predictors for timing in utilizing health care, whereas perceived affordability was not. The findings imply that raising health literacy and utilizing the positive social network can stimulate timely healthcare seeking behaviors among parents. Additionally, these results highlight the importance of improving communication and community engagement to create a positive health care environment for early health care intervention. The findings from this study may guide policies that have been implemented to increase healthcare access through most effective educational interventions targeted to specific audiences and through community-based programs. These findings are especially important when dealing with disparities in healthcare utilization and better health outcomes of children. However, limitations such as the cross-sectional design and the potential for self-report bias warrant further investigation in future research.