Vol. 1, Issue 1, Part A (2019)

Background: Health Care is very vital for human existence. It is the act of maintaining or improving of one’s health through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness. This study was aimed determining how health status and financial status influence the utilization of Health Care services by rural dwellers in Bauchi State. Three research questions were answered using descriptive statistics, and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Survey design was used for the study, 3 local government areas were selected from each senatorial district. 
Materials and Methods: A total of 3,447 respondents were sampled for the study, using simple random sampling procedure. A well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit data for the study. The Instrument Titled “Questionnaire on Factors Affecting the utilization of Healthcare Facilities in Rural Areas. The reliability index was determined using Cronbach’s alpha test of internal consistency. The instrument was reliable at an alpha value of 0.861. 
Results: The result shows that the utilization of health care centers in Bauchi State is very low among the rural dwellers. In the rural areas of Bauchi State, the health status of the respondents did not aid the utilization of health care centers (r = 0.006). The insurance is positively correlated with health care centers utilization (r = 0.009). Occupation (r = -0.022) is negatively correlated with utilization of health care facilities among rural dwellers of Bauchi State. The financial status of the respondents is not significantly correlated with utilization of healthcare services in Bauchi State. 
Conclusion: The utilization of health care centers in Bauchi State is very low among the rural dwellers. In the rural areas of Bauchi State, the health status of the respondents did not aid the utilization of health care centers. Insurance can influence the utilization of health care services positively, while occupation. The Government of Bauchi, as well as none governmental organization must do a lot to enlighten the residence in the rural areas of the state on the importance of utilizing health care services, and the consequence of neglecting to do so, so as to encourage more patronage of the health facilities and thereby reduce mortality.