The influence of road construction on the health care behaviour of rural households in the Meru district of Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of road improvements on the utilization of three hospitals in Kenya. Three hypotheses, which assume that road improvements will intensify the use of health facilities, expand the catchment areas of health facilities and widen individual choice and use of health facilities, are tested. The main impact of the new road has been confined to changes in the geographical accessibility, bringing more people within easy travelling distance of the three hospitals. However, only a small number of the sampled households show any sign of being strongly influenced by such change. In particular, it is the wealthy minority that show the greater sensitivity to the shrinkage of distance brought about by the new road. For the majority, hospital choice seems to be conditioned by a range of factors, notably cost of treatment, religious affiliation and attitudes to the efficacy of each health care system. These influences were in existence before the new road and operate independent of it.

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