Abstract
Doctor–patient communication is widely recognised as a fundamental component of effective healthcare delivery. However, in multicultural societies such as Nigeria, communication between healthcare professionals and patients is often shaped by sociocultural factors including gender norms, educational background, and health literacy. This study investigates how gender differences and patients’ educational levels influence doctor–patient interaction in Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria. Drawing on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and video-recorded consultations involving ten (10) doctors and eighteen (18) patients in a public hospital, the research adopts Communication Accommodation Theory and Interactional Sociolinguistics as analytical frameworks. The findings reveal that gender concordance significantly affects patient disclosure of sensitive health issues, particularly among female patients who prefer consultations with female doctors due to religious and cultural expectations of modesty. Educational disparities also influence patient participation and comprehension of medical instructions, although doctors frequently employ communicative accommodation strategies such as code-switching, simplified language, and repetition to mitigate these barriers. Despite these strategies, power asymmetries and health literacy gaps remain significant obstacles to patient-centred communication. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of culturally responsive communication training in Nigerian medical education and recommends policy interventions aimed at improving health literacy and gender-sensitive healthcare delivery.
Keywords: doctor–patient communication, gender dynamics, health literacy, sociolinguistics, North-Central Nigeria, Communication Accommodation Theory
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i01.045
author/Umar, M. A., & Yusuf, B. I.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(1) | June 2026 |
