Abstract
Financial risk protection against the burden of out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOPHE) by achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a key health priority for developing countries. The elderly is a vulnerable demographic group that need this protection. This study sought to analyze how selected social and demographic factors affect OOPHE among the elderly in Kenya. Further, it aimed to determine the distribution of OOPHE among the various wealth quintiles in the elderly using a cross-sectional study. Data was sourced from the Kenya Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey (KHHEUS) 2013. The sample size (2,853) consisted of individuals ≥ 60 years who had utilized health services. A multiple regression model and concentration curves were applied. Increasing age, having chronic illnesses, male gender, higher education level, more wealth, possessing health insurance, increased distance, and a higher number of visits to the health facility positively affected OOPHE. These results were statistically significant (P < .050) for presence of chronic illnesses, increasing age, possessing a health insurance cover and being in the richest wealth quintile and insignificant for the rest. Moreover, concentration curves revealed that out-of-pocket (OOP) health payments were concentrated in the richest quintile individuals. Consequently, OOPHE is a regressive way of funding health care among the elderly. In conclusion, elderly persons need financial protection when seeking health care: achievable mainly through health reforms, especially the ones targeting health insurance.
Highlights
Age may be defined based on three perspectives, elapsed years or chronology; changing social role such as loss of productivity, having adult children and a change in capability perceived by invalid or senile status; and changing physical characteristics (World Health Organization [WHO], 2002)
Data was sourced from the Kenya Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey (KHHEUS) 2013
The data was sourced from the Kenya Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey (KHHEUS) 2013.KHHEUS is conducted periodically as part of the National Health Accounts
Summary
Age may be defined based on three perspectives, elapsed years or chronology; changing social role such as loss of productivity (through retirement), having adult children and a change in capability perceived by invalid or senile status; and changing physical characteristics (World Health Organization [WHO], 2002). The number of people who are over 60 years will increase from the current 700 million to at least 2 billion by 2050 (The World Bank, 2010). This will likely result in a change in the global demographic composition as the elderly population rises (Channon et al, 2012; The World Bank, 2010). As a result, these dramatic changes in population will necessitate proper planning to guarantee better population health outcomes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
