Health outcomes of energy poverty among women in Kenya: evidence from cross-county two-part modelling

Energy poverty has risen to be one of the vital worldwide problems threatening many lives yearly. The implication of energy poverty varies significantly by gender, with a significant impact among women, particularly in conventional rural developing economies. Consequently, for energy-poor households, women experience higher health deprivation compared to the health of men. Therefore, the twofold novelty of this paper delves into the energy poverty-health nexus discussion by first computing and analyzing multidimensional intensity and incidence of energy poverty using the Alkire-Foster technique. Secondly, utilising a cross-county two-part modelling approach, the paper explores the health outcomes of energy poverty among Kenyan women using the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) data. Addressing endogeneity issues, the study’s main findings reveal a significantly negative impact of energy poverty on self-reported health and a positive effect on health deprivation among women in Kenya. Based on the observed findings, it can be depicted that urgent implementation of regional program-based policy initiatives is needed to overcome energy poverty’s overreaching adverse health outcomes among women in Kenya.