Influence of social protection on access to health care among elderly persons in informal settlements in Nakuru Town, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of the study is to analyse the influence of social protection on access to health care among elderly persons in informal settlements Nakuru Town, Kenya. The study was based on the Disengagement theory and utilized a descriptive research design to target individuals of 70 years and above, within the informal settlements in Nakuru Town, Kenya. Cluster and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 399 respondents from a target population of 248,785 elderly persons. Data was collected from the sample using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation with chi-square, and the thematic content analysis method. Quantitative analysis was aided by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 software. Results showed that the majority of the respondents (70.3%) had low access to health care services. Access to health care services is influenced by social protection programmes specifically cash transfers, government interventions in health care, and retirement benefits. Based on these findings, the study recommends that policymakers should create awareness regarding the existence of government interventions such as health insurance subsidy programme (HISP) and the importance of enrolling to retirement benefit schemes and saving for old age.

Keywords: {'name': 'social protection'}, {'name': 'health care'}, {'name': 'access'}, {'name': 'elderly'}, {'name': 'informal settlement'}, {'name': 'Nakuru'}, {'name': 'Kenya'}

Authors & affiliations

Jackqueline Kiptui
Affiliation not supplied

Peter Mwaura
Affiliation not supplied

David Gichuhi
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.1093/geronb/59.3.S128

Arifin, B., Wicaksono, E., & Ngasuko, T. (2021). The Impact of Indonesian Conditional Cash Transfer Program (PKH) Expansion on Elderly Beneficiaries and Medical Care Utilization. IEA World Conference, Bali, Indonesia.

DOI: 10.1080/2331205X.2017.1289664

DOI: 10.1177/2158244021989311

DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2021.1926197

DOI: 10.1007/s40271-016-0168-x

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209098

DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx014

DOI: 10.1186/s12939-019-1006-2

Mwanzia, P. (2015). The effect of older persons cash transfer programme on the elderly in Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi County. University of Nairobi.

Onduko, E. M., Gweyi, M. O., & Nyawira, J. (2015). Analysis of the determinants on Retirement Planning in Kenya: A Survey of registered pension schemes in Nairobi. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 10.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2019.12.001

Republic of Kenya. (2016). Inua Jamii: Towards a more effective national safety net for Kenya. Progress report. Government Printer. http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/949781468198008332/pdf/105760-WP-P131305-PUBLIC.pdf

Republic of Kenya. (2020). Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT)—National Social Protection Secretariat. http://www.socialprotection.or.ke/national-safety-net-program/125-older-persons-cash-transfer-opct

DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2020.1853792

Vaziralli, S. (2020). A social protection response to COVID-19 in developing countries (p. 11). International Growth Centre.

Wariuko, J., Cheboi, S., Ochieng, G., & Oyore, J. (2017). Access to Healthcare Services in Informal Settlement: Perspective of the Elderly in Kibera Slum Nairobi-Kenya. Ann Med Health Sci Res, 7(1), 5–9.

DOI: 10.1002/agm2.12028