TITLE:
Determinants of Care Pathways among People with Reduced Mobility in Major Urban Centers of Benin
AUTHORS:
Tychique Nougbode, Charles-Patrick Makoutode, Cyriaque Degbey, Maurice Agonnoude, Charles Jerôme-Sossa
KEYWORDS:
Pathway, Illness, Care, Customs, Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol.16 No.3,
August
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Barriers to healthcare access among people with reduced mobility contribute to complex and suboptimal care pathways. In Benin, the factors influencing these pathways remain insufficiently documented. Objective: The objective was to identify the factors contributing to suboptimal healthcare pathways for these individuals. Study Framework: The study was conducted in public hospitals in Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou in Benin. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 497 participants in Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou. Data were collected via questionnaire and then analyzed using Stata 11.0. Associations were investigated using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression at a significance level of 5%. Results: Suboptimal healthcare pathways accounted for 86.72% of cases. Five factors remained significantly associated: illness-related cultural beliefs and practices (p Conclusion and Contribution: Optimizing care pathways for people with reduced mobility requires strengthening patient education, reducing social and financial inequalities in access to care, and better consideration of sociocultural realities.