ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND ITS IMPACT ON ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF EDE NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT)

ABSTRACT This study investigates the socioeconomic status and Its Impact on Access to healthcare in Ede North Local Government Area (LGA), Osun State, Nigeria. Despite healthcare being fundamental to human well-being, systemic issues like underfunding and workforce shortages persist in Nigeria. This research specifically explores how factors such as income, education, and occupation shape health-seeking behavior in a region characterized by a large informal economy. Adopting a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, the study utilized multistage sampling to collect data from 100 households via structured Likert-scale questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics, including Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression. Key findings revealed that occupation is the most significant determinant of healthcare access ($p = .026$), with informal workers (traders and farmers) facing higher barriers than civil servants. While education and income were significantly correlated with a reduction in perceived economic barriers ($p < .05$), they did not show a statistically significant association with actual service utilization in bivariate analysis. This suggests that structural deficiencies, such as the "disadvantaged" distribution of facilities in Ede North, create a "ceiling effect" that limits access regardless of individual socio-economic status. The study recommends implementing "flexi-payment" health insurance plans for the informal sector, prioritizing the renovation of rural primary health centers, and intensifying community-based health literacy campaigns.