Background: As the world transits from the era of millennium development goals to that of sustainable
development goals, an examination of the access to primary health care services in the previous era is
germane to adequate planning and delivery of effective service in the emerging era. The objective of this
study was determine factors associated with the use of primary health care (PHC) facilities for the health
needs of children in Anambra State, Nigeria
Methods: A cross sectional survey of 600 randomly selected mothers (15-49 years) was conducted in
Orumba North local government area of Anambra State. An interviewer-based questionnaire, designed to
provide information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents as well as their child
rearing experiences was used. The questionnaire also provided data on the women’s use of immunization
services. The perceptions on government health services were also examined to understand how they
influence compliance.
Results: More of non-demographic attributes like the mothers’ perceptions and past experiences with the
health services influenced utilization more than the demographic attributes. Satisfactory experiences with
health service influenced utilization (χ2=168.478; p<0.001). Those with good perception (95.4%) used the
PHC facilities more (χ2=198.032; p<0.001).
Conclusion: Irrespective of the socio-demographic backgrounds of the mothers, they all have feelings and
react to situations they encounter daily. There is need to improve the experiences mothers get from
encounter with the PHC facilities so as to improve on the perception and increase use of the facilities.