Chronic diseases in Nyeri, Kenya: a study of knowledge and perceptions

Abstract

The burden of chronic, non-communicable disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer is growing in many developing countries including Kenya. The use of community health workers is an important tool to improve the access to care and education in rural areas. This study aims to understand the knowledge and perceptions among the general population regarding three chronic diseasesdiabetes, hypertension, and cancer -in Nyeri, Kenya. Standardized, open-ended interviews were conducted with 200 participants. This study shows that most individuals interviewed are familiar with these three diseases; however, knowledge varied among individuals with many having significant gaps in knowledge. These results are consistent with previous studies from this region and will inform future education directed at community health workers and the general population.

Socioeconomic inequalities in hypertension in Kenya: a decomposition analysis of 2015 Kenya STEPwise survey on non-communicable diseases risk factors

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Integration of Smart Wearable Devices and Cloud Computing in the Kenyan Public Health Care System

“…Moreover, the incidence of non-communicable diseases has been increasing in recent years. Such illnesses include hypertension, diabetes, and cancer (Freiberg et al, 2016). Advanced health informatics tools can be used in promoting preventive care services such as encouraging body exercises to curb the burden of lifestyle diseases.…”