Economic Analysis of Health Inequality Among the Elderly in Ghana

Fonta, Cynthia Lum; Nonvignon, Justice; Aikins, Moses; Nonvignon, Jacob; Aryeetey, Genevieve Cecilia

doi:10.1007/s12062-019-09245-7

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Age was a significant factor associated with self-reporting poor health, showing a higher prevalence among individuals aged ≥70 (23.61%) compared to those in the younger group (60–69 years). This finding aligns with the existing literature indicating an increasing prevalence of poor health with increasing age [ 28 , 31 , 32 ]. For instance, a study in Brazil found an association of age with mortality in older men, with each additional year increasing the risk of death by 5% [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The likelihood of reporting a poor health status was also lower among those with health insurance compared to those without insurance in the logistic regression. Although Fonta et al [ 28 ] found no significant difference in SRH between insured and uninsured older individuals, Kunna et al [ 4 ] emphasized that the absence of health insurance coverage contributed to approximately 12% of observed health inequalities. Therefore, in addition to old age being a predisposing factor for poor health, access to health insurance is an important consideration for governments to enhance the health situation of the older population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SRH status was used as the outcome variable for examining the socio-economic determinants and health inequalities among older adults in the KSA. To facilitate the bivariate analysis, the 5-point scale was converted to a binary outcome of 0 and 1, with 0 representing responses “Very good”, “Good” and “Mediocre” as good health, and 1 representing the responses “Bad” and “Very bad” as poor health [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-Reported Health Inequalities among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia

Al-Hanawi

2023

Healthcare

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Considering the rising life expectancy, the growing population of older adults poses challenges in providing adequate healthcare services. Self-reported health is an important indicator of overall health, predicting morbidity and mortality. This study investigated self-reported health inequalities among older adults in Saudi Arabia and the underlying factors contributing to establishing such inequalities. The study utilized data from the 2018 Saudi Family Health Survey, focusing on 2023 respondents aged ≥60 years with complete data. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to explore socio-economic factors linked to health inequalities. Additionally, concentration curves and indices were used to assess the magnitude of health inequalities among older adults. The findings indicate a higher prevalence of self-reported poor health among respondents aged ≥70 years and those with chronic diseases. Age, education, income level, marital status, and insurance coverage were other factors significantly linked to reporting poor health. Inequality analysis revealed a concentration of poor health among less educated individuals (concentration index = −0.261, p < 0.01). Both income- and education-based indices highlighted a concentration of poor health among men with lower income and education levels. Addressing healthcare inequalities among older adults requires targeted policy efforts, focusing on those aged ≥70, unmarried individuals, those without insurance coverage, those with chronic illnesses, and those with lower education levels. Targeted interventions for these groups can address their unique healthcare needs and promote equitable health outcomes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-Reported Health Inequalities among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia

Al-Hanawi

2023

Healthcare

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“…If there is a competitive relationship between age and SES when they have impacts on health inequality, we need to focus more on the health status of the elderly with low SES [24]. Fonta’s study on health inequality among the elderly in Ghana found the same conclusion: the poor suffer more health inequalities [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Inequality Among the Elderly in Rural China and Influencing Factors: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Pan

Fan

Yang

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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Based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this paper calculates the health distribution of the elderly using the Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB) score, and then estimates health inequality among the elderly in rural China using the Wagstaff index (WI) and Erreygers index (EI). Following this, it compares health inequalities among the elderly in different age groups, and finally, uses the Shapley and recentered influence function-index-ordinary least squares (RIF-I-OLS) model to decompose the effect of four factors on health inequality among the elderly in rural China. The QWB score distribution shows that the health of the elderly in rural China improved with social economic development and medical reform from 2002 to 2014. However, at the same time, we were surprised to find that the health level of the 65–74 years old group has been declining steadily since 2008. This phenomenon implies that the incidence of chronic diseases is moving towards the younger elderly. The WI and EI show that there is indeed pro-rich health inequality among the rural elderly, the health inequality of the younger age groups is more serious than that of the older age groups, and the former incidence of health inequality is higher. Health inequality in the age group of 65–74 years old is higher than that in other groups, and the trend of change fluctuated downward from 2002 to 2014. Health inequality in the age group of 75–84 years old is lower than that in the group of 65–74 years old, but higher than that in the other age groups. The results of Shapley decomposition show that demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), health care access, and quality of later life contributed 0.0054, 0.0130, 0.0442, and 0.0218 to the health inequality index of the elderly, which accounted for 6.40%, 15.39%, 52.41%, and 25.80% of health inequality index. From the results of RIF-I-OLS decomposition, this paper has analyzed detailed factors’ marginal effects on health inequality from four dimensions, which indicates that the health inequality among the elderly in rural China was mainly caused by the disparity of income, medical expenses, and living arrangement.

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“…Thus, the poor have limited access to health services resulting in poor health outcomes. 24 In 2019, Ghana in its quest to achieve the SDGs in health developed a roadmap to guide implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This seeks to reduce financial barriers to health care, improve health care financing, and strengthen the health care system for equitable access by the citizenry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unmet Needs of Healthcare Services and Associated Factors among a Cohort of Ghanaian Adults: A Nationally Stratified Cross-Sectional Study Design

Yamson

DeGraft-Amoah

Quansah

et al. 2021

INQUIRY

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We estimated the prevalence of unmet needs of healthcare services (UNHS) and its associated factors among a cohort of older Ghanaian adults. World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health for Ghana was used with a total of 4735 participants. Logistics regression analysis was performed using Stata 16 to assess associated factors. The overall UNHS was 3.7% (95% CI = 2.7-4.8) and the prevalence was significantly high amongst older adults aged 60 to 69 years (5.9%). Could not afford the healthcare (56.4%) was the main contender for UNHS. UNHS was influenced by; those aged 60 to 69 years [OR (95% CI) = 1.86 (1.19-2.91)]; no formal educational [aOR (95% CI) = 4.71 (1.27-17.38)], and no NHIS [OR (95% CI) = 1.78 (1.03-3.09)]. Participants needed care for joint pain (25.4%), and communicable diseases (19.1%). The inability to access healthcare was relatively higher for older adults more advanced in age, with low education, and for those without health insurance. Health system strengthening including financial protection by expanding the National Health Insurance Scheme to all Ghanaians in line with Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage Roadmap would reduce the unmet healthcare needs of older adults.

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Economic Analysis of Health Inequality Among the Elderly in Ghana

Cited by 7 publications

References 44 publications

Self-Reported Health Inequalities among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia

Self-Reported Health Inequalities among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia

Health Inequality Among the Elderly in Rural China and Influencing Factors: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Unmet Needs of Healthcare Services and Associated Factors among a Cohort of Ghanaian Adults: A Nationally Stratified Cross-Sectional Study Design

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