Health seeking behaviour in the reform process for rural households: The case of Mwea division, Kirinyaga district, Kenya

Abstract

Cost sharing resulted in a drop in the use of public health facilities in Kenya. But, these facilities continued to take a high priority among the other alternatives when sickness befell. Shifts across the facilities indicated a search for health services that yielded utility equivalent to the fee charged, while demand for services across the alternative sources reflected complementarity in consumption. Several factors influenced the observed pattern: direct and indirect costs, income base, satisfaction with services received, and demand level in the household. As rational agents, users of health care services aimed to minimize costs and maximize their satisfaction.