EFFECT OF HEALTHCARE ACCESS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN YEWA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

In rural farming communities, poor health and inadequate access to quality healthcare services remain major constraints to sustained agricultural productivity. This study investigates the effect of healthcare access on the productivity of rural farmers in Yewa South Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopts a multistage sampling technique to select 120 respondents, with data collected through structured questionnaires. Both descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. Findings reveal that average age, education, household size, farm size and experience were 50years, 7 years, 4, 3ha and 17years respectively. Access to healthcare services has a statistically significant impact on farm productivity. Specifically, variables such as availability of a health facility (p<0.010) distance to the health facility (p<0.005) travel time to reach the health facility (p<0.010), age of the farmer (p<0.001), household size (p<0.005) and farming experience (p<0.001) were found to influence productivity levels. Farmers with good access to healthcare indicated fewer sick days, higher work efficiency, and better farm output, while those with limited access experienced more frequent illness-related disruptions. The study concludes that agricultural productivity among rural farming households in Ogun State is profoundly shaped by an intricate interplay of internal socioeconomic capacity and external healthcare access constraints. The study recommends that government and relevant stakeholders must prioritize improving the structural and functional quality of public rural health facilities by recruiting adequate personnel, procuring modern equipment, and ensuring a stable supply of essential medications.