Collective action as a coping mechanism for serious illness in Western Kenya

Background: By 2006, HIV had infected about 1.2 million Kenyans and an estimated 150,000 had died due to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS rates in Western Kenya are disproportionally high compared to the national HIV rate.

Objective: To examine collective action in households affected by serious illness (e.g. HIV/ AIDS, TB) in Western Kenya. It was expected that serious illnesses would reduce collective action due to a reduction in adults and their ability to contribute to the household.

Methods: We used data from a mixed method study that used multiple-case-embedded case studies for rural households in Western Kenya. The research study investigated the effects of collective action on households affected by serious illness (e.g. HIV/ AIDS, TB). Household health was constructed from information of seriously ill house members from 120 households. This information was compared with collective action activities and other demographic factors.

Results: Analysis found about 41% of the households reported at least one seriously ill (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB, Sores, etc) member in their house. The villages had an average of about 5 members for each household, with 80% of them having more then 11 years of education. Actively engaged (collective action) female head (OR=2.95, 95% CI 1.26, 6.91) were more likely to be households with seriously ill members, while smaller size household (total number) (OR=0.826, 95% CI 0.69, 0.99) were not. Male head collective action was not significant.

Conclusions: These results can inform policy makers on the importance of the relationship between collective action, gender and poor household health.