Using verbal and social autopsies to explore health-seeking behaviour among HIV-positive women in Kenya: a retrospective study

Table 1 Background characteristics of study sample, access to health services and place of death

Variable	Women (N = 218)
Variable	N	%
Age
19–29 years	67	31.0
30–39 years	103	47.7
40+ years	46	21.3
Education
Primary and below	166	77.9
Secondary and higher	47	22.1
Marital status
Single	66	30.3
Married	57	26.2
Divorced/separated/widowed	95	43.6
Household socioeconomic status
Poor	62	28.7
Non-poor	154	71.3
Relationship of primary caregiver
Parent	109	50.0
Spouse	27	12.4
Brother/sister	54	24.8
Children	12	5.5
Other relative	11	5.1
Not related	5	2.3
Place where care was sought ^a
Home	66	30.4
Traditional healer	37	17.1
Over-the-counter	97	45.8
Government health facility	96	45.3
Private health facility	80	36.7
Faith-based facility	16	7.3
Number of contacts with formal health services a month prior to death
None	22	10.8
1–2 times	132	65.0
3 and above times	49	24.1
Place of death
Home	130	60.5
Health facility	80	37.2
Other place	5	2.3
Year of death
1996-2000	4	1.9
2001-2005	64	30.5
2006-2010	142	67.6

ISSN: 1472-6874