Factors Influencing Households Health Status in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Health as a form of human capital is crucial in the production of market and non-market commodities. It is, therefore, imperative that individuals/households invest in health as it directly influences their capacity to be productive and generate wealth. Investment in health is achieved through use of market and non-market goods and individuals own time as inputs. This study aimed at establishing the ways through which households/individuals produce their health; effect of health knowledge on health and providing policy measures to improve the health of households. A 2SLS translog health production function was employed using primary data obtained from a sample of households in Kangundo and Matungulu Sub-Counties. The study found that, the residents had normal weight according to World Health Organization classification and hence good health status, though in every 100 residents three were obese, 31 overweight, and nine were underweight. According to the study, health status improved with the frequency of fruits and vegetables consumed by individuals/households. Moreover, moderate exercise was found to be good for improved health status though excessive exercising had deleterious effect on health capital. Health knowledge was negatively related to health status, whereas it was positively related with the quadratic term for health knowledge. The study recommends that households be encouraged to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. This could be achieved by encouraging small-scale farmers to practice horticulture, by intercropping different types of fruits and green leafy vegetables. Further, households need to be empowered with more health knowledge, by integrating health education in school curriculum from early childhood to university levels, though; this should not be tested in the final national examinations. It would be appropriate to deploy couples in the same areas, not only to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence among married people, but also improve their health status as established by the study.