The economic status of older people’s households in urban and rural settings in Peru, Mexico and China: a 10/66 INDEP study cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Few data are available from middle income countries regarding economic circumstances of households in which older people live. Many such settings have experienced rapid demographic, social and economic change, alongside increasing pension coverage. Population-based household surveys in rural and urban catchment areas in Peru, Mexico and China. Participating households were selected from all households with older residents. Descriptive analyses were weighted back for sampling fractions and non-response. Household income and consumption were estimated from a household key informant interview. 877 Household interviews (3177 residents). Response rate 68 %. Household income and consumption correlated plausibly with other economic wellbeing indicators. Household Incomes varied considerably within and between sites. While multigenerational households were the norm, older resident’s incomes accounted for a high proportion of household income, and older people were particularly likely to pool income. Differences in the coverage and value of pensions were a major source of variation in household income among sites. There was a small, consistent inverse association between household pension income and labour force participation of younger adult co-residents. The effect of pension income on older adults’ labour force participation was less clear-cut. Historical linkage of social protection to formal employment may have contributed to profound late-life socioeconomic inequalities. Strategies to formalise the informal economy, alongside increases in the coverage and value of non-contributory pensions and transfers would help to address this problem.

Social inequalities and household food insecurity in quilombola communities in Brazil

“…We observed in our study that the higher the age group of the heads of household, the lower the proportion of moderate/severe FI, which could be down to contributions by older people to family income [34]. Data from the National Family Expenditure Study indicated that FI was less prevalent in households that included older people [15].…”

Inequalities in Older age and Primary Health Care Utilization in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

“…72 The classification and assignment of occupation are differently defined across studies and settings and weakly captured, especially for the retired population. 69 Late-life income may be affected by the association of pensions with formal employment, 73 thereby influencing PHC utilization.…”

A journey without maps—Understanding the costs of caring for dependent older people in Nigeria, China, Mexico and Peru

“…The 10/66 rural catchments: communities in Canete coastal province, Peru; Daxing, 40kms from Beijing in China; villages in Morelos, a mountainous district 70kms from Mexico City; rural communities in Dunukofia, Anambra State, Nigeria are characterised by higher proportions of people working in the informal economy, carrying out activities such as farming, fishing or trade. For detailed description of the pensions and health insurance context in each setting, and the compositional characteristics of the households and older individuals, see our open access protocol paper [ 13 ] and paper describing the economic status of INDEP study households [ 8 ]).…”

“…Nonetheless, implementation has been slow. There is evidence to suggest that without further transformations of labour markets, social pensions alone may do little to address unequal distributions of pension entitlements and therefore have a minimal overall impact upon poverty [ 8 ]. Likewise, despite the roll-out of government health insurance packages, no LMIC has achieved universal coverage [ 9 ].…”