Examining the economic burden, experiences and coping strategies for patients with hypertension in Kenya

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a growing health problem in Kenya. Anecdotal evidence suggests that living with hypertension can be a difficult experience. I would like to understand the consequences of living with hypertension for individuals and their families. 

I will consider what impact the illness has on personal wellbeing and financial status, and whether people with hypertension are exposed to financial hardship. I will also examine the strategies used to cope with this illness. I will ask patients about health-seeking, the associated costs and the coping strategies they use. I also plan to collect data such as medication costs and income loss. I will use different methods of data collection which will enrich my analysis. 

The results will be useful to policy makers seeking to address hypertension in low-resource settings such as Kenya.