RESEARCH Open Access

The relevance of timing of illness and death events in the household life cycle for coping outcomes in rural Uganda in the era of HIV Jovita Amurwon1,2,3*, Flora Hajdu1 and Janet Seeley3,4 Introduction: Predicting the household’s ability to cope with adult illness and death can be complicated in low-income countries with high HIV prevalence and multiple other stressors and shocks. This study explored the link between stage of the household in the life cycle and the household’s capacity to cope with illness and death of adults in rural Uganda. Methods: Interviews focusing on life histories were combined with observations during monthly visits to 2