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Jul 11, 2026Keywords:
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Healthcare service quality and utilisation patterns among university students: A SERVQUAL-based assessment
Abstract
Purpose: To examine the perception of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) undergraduate students about service quality at the institution's Health Centre and determine if their perception had an effect on their use of healthcare services.
Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional mixed-methods design. For quantitative determinations, a SERVQUAL-based survey was administered to 1,698 undergraduates. The instrument covered the five core service quality dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. A focus group discussion of 14 students was used to obtain qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using factor analysis and multiple linear regression; qualitative transcripts were analysed thematically to further explain the survey findings.
Results: The results showed that only 527 (31.1 %) had accessed services within the preceding six months, even though 1148 (67.6 %) of respondents reported being registered with the Health Centre. The perceptions of service quality overall were moderately positive (mean = 3.17 ± 0.95); the results also revealed that expectations consistently exceeded experiences with a negative SERVQUAL gap (−1.19 ± 1.13). Responsiveness showed an inverse relationship with service utilisation, while perceived reliability and empathy were positively associated. A little over half (53.6 %) of the observed variance was accounted for by these underlying factors. The focus group discussion identified unfavourable staff attitudes, long waiting times, and procedural delays as key deterrents to healthcare utilisation.
Conclusion: Student confidence and utilisation of university health services can be increased by improving responsiveness, reliability, and interpersonal aspects of care.
