Health seeking behaviour and the related household out-of-pocket expenditure for chronic non-communicable diseases in rural Malawi
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11490646 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Qun Wang (0000-0002-8056-2817, Heidelberg University, corresponding author), Stephan Brenner (0000-0001-5397-7008, Heidelberg University), Gerald Leppert (0009-0008-8604-2127, Heidelberg University), Thomas Hastings Banda (Heidelberg University), Olivier Kalmus (0000-0002-7255-6484, Heidelberg University), Manuela De Allegri (0000-0002-8677-1337, Heidelberg University) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 242-252 |
| Publication date | 2015-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Policy and Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0268-1080 • E-ISSN: 1460-2237 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/heapol/czu004 |
| PMID | 24561879 |
| OpenAlex | W2096307308 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 40 |
Malawi is facing a rising chronic non-communicable disease (CNCD) epidemic. This study explored health seeking behaviour and related expenditure on CNCDs in rural Malawi, with specific focus on detecting potential differences across population groups. We used data from the first round of a panel household health survey conducted in rural Malawi between August and October 2012 on a sample of 1199 households. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with health seeking choices for CNCDs, distinguishing between no care, informal care and formal care. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and median) were used to describe related household out-of-pocket expenditure. There were 475 individuals (equivalent to 8.4% of all respondents) reporting at least one CNCD. Among them, 37.3% did not seek any care, 42.5% sought formal care (facility-based care), and 20.2% opted for informal care (traditional or home treatment). Regression analysis showed that illness severity and duration, socio-economic status, being a household head, and the proportion of household members living with a CNCD were significantly associated with health care utilization. Among those seeking care, 65.8% incurred out-of-pocket expenditure with an average of USD 1.49 spent on medical treatment and an additional USD 0.50 spent on transport. Further qualitative inquiry is needed to understand the reasons for low service utilization and to explore the potential role of supply-side factors. To increase access to care for people suffering from CNCDs, the provision of a free Essential Health Package in Malawi ought to be strengthened through the integration of system-wide screening, risk factor modification and continuity of care options for people suffering from CNCDs. This would ensure affordable services to modulate health seeking behaviour of patients at risk of major chronic illnesses.
Descriptive statistics · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Health care · Health facility · Health services · Logistic regression · Multinomial logistic regression · Population · Rural area · Socioeconomics · Global Maternal and Child Health · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Gerontology
Eliciting community preferences for complementary micro health insurance
Care-Seeking Dynamics among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension in Selected Rural Settings in Kenya
The costs of seeking healthcare
How equitable is health spending on curative services and institutional delivery in Malawi? Evidence from a quasi-longitudinal benefit incidence analysis
Exploring health-seeking behavior for non-communicable chronic conditions in northern Bangladesh
Integrated healthcare services for HIV, diabetes mellitus and hypertension in selected health facilities in Kampala and Wakiso districts, Uganda
Determinants of outpatient healthcare-seeking behaviors among the rural poor affected by chronic conditions in India
A household perspective on access to health care in the context of HIV and disability
Blood pressure can kill you tomorrow, but HIV gives you time’
Grand challenges in chronic non-communicable diseases
Common Chronic Pain Conditions in Developed and Developing Countries
Affordability, availability and acceptability barriers to health care for the chronically ill
Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001
Non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa
The analysis of household surveys
"For someone who's rich, it's not a problem". Insights from Tanzania on diabetes health-seeking and medical pluralism among Dar es Salaam's urban poor
Health financing in Malawi
Economic burden of diabetes mellitus in the WHO African region
Health-care seeking behaviour among persons with diabetes in Uganda
A template for improved prevention and control of cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa
Heavy burden of non-communicable diseases at early age and gender disparities in an adult population of Burkina Faso
Commentary
Health care-seeking behaviour and out-of-pocket payments in Tbilisi, Georgia
National Health Surveys and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use
Illness reporting and demand for medical care in rural Burkina Faso
Quality of care and the demand for health services in Bamako, Mali
Childhood morbidity and health services utilization
Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Revisiting the Behavioral Model and Access to Medical Care
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,75 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2025 (12) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |