EFFECT OF PATIENT-RELATED FACTORS ON HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES ON NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN NYERI COUNTY BETWEEN 2015 AND 2025
Keywords:
Non-communicable diseases, patient-related factors, household expenditure, treatment adherence, health-seeking behaviourAbstract
Purpose of study: This study examined the effect of patient-related factors, namely treatment adherence, health-seeking behaviour, and perceived illness severity, on household expenditure on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nyeri County, Kenya, between 2015 and 2025.
Methodology: Anchored on the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, an explanatory correlational design with a cross-sectional survey was adopted. A sample of 398 households was drawn from 85,000 households across five Level Four public hospitals using Yamane's formula and simple random sampling. Structured questionnaires and secondary hospital records provided data, analyzed using SPSS Version 28 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.
Findings: A response rate of 85.9% (n=342) was achieved. Descriptive findings revealed respondents strongly agreed patient-related factors increased household expenditure (aggregate mean=4.09), with non-adherence (M=4.21) and delayed treatment-seeking (M=4.18) rated highest. Households incurred average NCD expenditure of KES 61,590, with medication costs (KES 28,650) forming the largest component. Correlation analysis established a strong positive relationship between patient-related factors and household expenditure (r=0.681, p<0.001). Regression results confirmed patient-related factors significantly predicted household expenditure (β=0.668, p<0.001), explaining 44.6% of the variance (R²=0.446). The null hypothesis was rejected, confirming that patient-related factors significantly influence household expenditure on NCDs in Nyeri County.
Conclusion: Patient behaviour, particularly non-adherence, delayed care-seeking, and irregular clinic attendance, is a critical determinant of the economic burden of NCDs on households. The study recommends strengthened patient education, adherence support systems, expanded insurance coverage for medication and diagnostics, and enhanced routine monitoring services to reduce household financial strain from NCD management.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21535221
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