Health and Care Network among Older Persons in Rural Areas: A Preliminary Descriptive Report from Surveillance in Kwale County of Kenya

Ken Masuda, Nagasaki University
Ryuji Yoshino, Nagasaki University
Kaori Miyachi, Shizuoka University
Satoko Horii, Nagasaki University
Nanae Takeda, Embassy of Japan in Tanzania
Shinji Miyamoto, Okayama University of Science
Reiko Hayashi, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan
Hideki Yamamoto, Teikyo University
Haruko Noguchi, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Tokyo Japan
Violet Wanjihia, Kenya Medical Research Institute

Kenya's population has doubled in the past 30 years. On the other hand, a gradual decline in the total fertility rate is expected to increase the proportion of the population aged 60 and above in the future: from about 5% in 2022, it will rise to 10% by 2050 and 23% by 2100. Despite these demographic projections, few studies have comprehensively addressed the current situation in terms of social protection and health care for the elderly in Kenya. This study aims to reveal the current demographic situation in rural Kenya for designing future health and welfare services. A quantitative survey was conducted in Kwale county in Kenya from October to December 2022 by using the Open Data Kit (ODK) to focus on socioeconomic status, social network, self-rated health, disability, mental health, and medical history among totally 4,360 population aged 40 and above.