Care-Seeking Dynamics among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension in Selected Rural Settings in Kenya

Miriam Karinja, Goonaseelan Pillai, Raymond Schlienger, Marcel Tanner and Bernhards Ogutu
Additional contact information
Miriam Karinja: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Goonaseelan Pillai: CP+ Associates GmbH, 4102 Basel, Switzerland
Raymond Schlienger: Quantitative Safety and Epidemiology, Chief Medical Office & Patient Safety, Novartis Pharma AG, 4033 Basel, Switzerland
Marcel Tanner: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Bernhards Ogutu: Center for Research in Therapeutic Sciences (CREATES), Strathmore University, Nairobi 00100, Kenya

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are two common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that often coexist in patients. However, health-seeking behaviour in patients with diabetes mellitus or hypertension has not been extensively studied especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to examine care-seeking dynamics among participants diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension across nine counties in rural Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional study among adults diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension through face-to-face interviews. Of the 1100 participants, 69.9% had hypertension, 15.5% diabetes while 14.7% had both. The mean age of the respondents was 64 years. The majority of the respondents (86%) were on allopathic treatment. Hospital admission, having a good self-rated health status and having social support for illness, were positively associated with appropriate health-seeking behaviour while use of alcohol and pharmacy or chemist as source of treatment were negatively associated with appropriate health-seeking behaviour. Our study found a high prevalence of appropriate health-seeking behaviour among respondents with the majority obtaining care from government facilities. The results are evidence that improving public health care services can promote appropriate health-seeking behaviour for non-communicable diseases and thus improve health outcomes.

Keywords: diabetes; hypertension; non-communicable diseases; chronic condition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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