Health care seeking behaviour in Kenya: A case study of vihiga district

Abstract

Health Seeking Behaviour refers to what people do in order to maintain health and/or return to health, ranging from individual behaviour to collective behaviour. Many studies have been carried out on the health seeking behaviour of people in both the developed and the developing countries. However, the majority of these studies have tended to be carried out a few days or weeks after the individual has visited or not visited a particular provider. In this study, we interview patients at the health care facilities from where they are seeking treatment. Using data collected from 256 patients at various health care facilities (broadly classified as hospitals, clinics, dispensaries and health centres) in Vihiga District of Kenya we determine the characteristics of patients that influence their choice of health care facility types. The model used is the multinomial logit model. The major findings of the study include: facility type choice is influenced by the patient's age, gender, marital status, and highest education level; younger patients are more likely to seek treatment from dispensaries and health centres while older ones are more likely to seek treatment from hospitals and clinics; female patients are more likely to seek medical treatment from hospitals and clinics while their male counterparts are more likely to seek treatment from dispensaries and health centres; currently married patients are more likely to seek treatment from health centres while not-currently-married ones are more likely to seek treatment from hospitals; and, highly educated individuals are more likely to seek treatment from hospitals and clinics while less highly educated ones are more likely to seek treatment from health centres.