IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v162y2022i2d10.1007_s11205-021-02871-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Blessing or Burden: The Elderly and Household Welfare in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Edward Martey

    (CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute)

Abstract

Demographic projections globally indicate an increase in the elderly population due to declining mortality rates resulting from technological advancement and improvement in medicine. This study estimates the extra cost of an elderly household member. Further, it examines the relationship and mechanism between the elderly and household welfare in Ghana using data from the sixth and seventh rounds of the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS6 and GLSS7). Based on the standard of living approach, the study estimates the extra cost of an elderly member at 24% (US$580) and 8% (US$131) of annual household consumption expenditures in 2012/2013 and 2016/2017, respectively. Disaggregation of the results based on location indicates that rural households with an elderly member incur higher extra costs than urban households. The estimation results showed that the presence of an elderly member reduced household welfare by approximately 4%. The result is robust to alternative estimation methods and further indicated that time poverty is the main channel through which elderly members influence household welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Martey, 2022. "Blessing or Burden: The Elderly and Household Welfare in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 803-827, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:162:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02871-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02871-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-021-02871-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-021-02871-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Claudia Goldin, 2016. "How Japan and the US Can Reduce the Stress of Aging," NBER Working Papers 22445, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Anita Mukherjee, 2018. "Time and Money: Social Security Benefits and Intergenerational Transfers," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 396-400, May.
    3. Congjia Huo & Guoan Xiao & Lingming Chen, 2021. "The crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on household consumption from the perspective of population aging: evidence from China," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    4. Nisha C. Hazra & Caroline Rudisill & Martin C. Gulliford, 2018. "Determinants of health care costs in the senior elderly: age, comorbidity, impairment, or proximity to death?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(6), pages 831-842, July.
    5. Laura Crespo & Pedro Mira, 2014. "Caregiving to Elderly Parents and Employment Status of European Mature Women," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(4), pages 693-709, October.
    6. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2017. "Ethnic Diversity and Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 285-302.
    7. Elena Bardasi & Quentin Wodon, 2010. "Working Long Hours and Having No Choice: Time Poverty in Guinea," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 45-78.
    8. Anthony Harris & Anurag Sharma, 2018. "Estimating the future health and aged care expenditure in Australia with changes in morbidity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-10, August.
    9. Mishra, Vinod & Smyth, Russell, 2015. "Estimating returns to schooling in urban China using conventional and heteroskedasticity-based instruments," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 166-173.
    10. Arthur Lewbel, 2012. "Using Heteroscedasticity to Identify and Estimate Mismeasured and Endogenous Regressor Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 67-80.
    11. Nanak Kakwani & Kalanidhi Subbarao, 2005. "Ageing and Poverty in Africa and the Role of Social Pensions," World Bank Publications - Reports 8535, The World Bank Group.
    12. Prashant Loyalka & Lan Liu & Gong Chen & Xiaoying Zheng, 2014. "The Cost of Disability in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(1), pages 97-118, February.
    13. Michael Palmer & Jenny Williams & Barbara McPake, 2019. "Standard of Living and Disability in Cambodia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(11), pages 2382-2402, November.
    14. Nanak Kakwani & Kalanidhi Subbarao, 2005. "Ageing and poverty in Africa and the role of social pensions," Working Papers 8, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    15. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Atinga, David & Yevu, Mawuli, 2021. "Household energy choice for cooking among the time and consumption poor in Ghana," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    16. Isaac Koomson & Sefa Awaworyi Churchill, 2021. "Ethnic Diversity and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Ghana," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(11), pages 1912-1926, November.
    17. Marc Jourdain Muizon, 2020. "Subsidies for parental leave and formal childcare: be careful what you wish for," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 735-772, September.
    18. Koomson, Isaac & Danquah, Michael, 2021. "Financial inclusion and energy poverty: Empirical evidence from Ghana," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    19. Derek Asuman & Charles Godfred Ackah & Frank Agyire-Tettey, 2021. "Disability and Household Welfare in Ghana: Costs and Correlates," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 633-649, December.
    20. Asghar Zaidi & Tania Burchardt, 2005. "Comparing Incomes When Needs Differ: Equivalization For The Extra Costs Of Disability In The U.K," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 51(1), pages 89-114, March.
    21. Frank Agyire-Tettey & Charles Godfred Ackah & Derek Asuman, 2018. "An Unconditional Quantile Regression Based Decomposition of Spatial Welfare Inequalities in Ghana," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 537-556, March.
    22. Frank Agyire-Tettey & Derek Asuman & Charles Godfred Ackah & Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, 2021. "Multidimensional Child Poverty in Ghana: Measurements, Determinants, and Inequalities," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 957-979, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Edward Martey & Edward Ebo Onumah & Justina Adwoa Onumah & Dela‐Dem Doe Fiankor, 2024. "Non‐tariff measures and household welfare: Evidence from Ghana," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 1150-1169, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Koomson, Isaac & Afoakwah, Clifford & Ampofo, Akwasi, 2022. "How does ethnic diversity affect energy poverty? Insights from South Africa," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    2. Derek Asuman & Charles Godfred Ackah & Frank Agyire-Tettey, 2021. "Disability and Household Welfare in Ghana: Costs and Correlates," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 633-649, December.
    3. Edward Martey & Prince M. Etwire & Isaac Koomson, 2022. "Parental Time Poverty, Child Work and School Attendance in Ghana," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(4), pages 1489-1515, August.
    4. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2022. "Protestantism and energy poverty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    5. Lin, Boqiang & Okyere, Michael Adu, 2022. "Are people energy poor because of their prosocial behavior? Evidence from Ghana," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    6. Kofinti, Raymond Elikplim & Koomson, Isaac & Paintsil, Jones Arkoh & Ameyaw, Edward Kwabena, 2022. "Reducing children's malnutrition by increasing mothers' health insurance coverage: A focus on stunting and underweight across 32 sub-Saharan African countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    7. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Hayward, Mathew & Smyth, Russell & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2023. "Crime, community social capital and entrepreneurship: Evidence from Australian communities," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2).
    8. Frank Agyire-Tettey & Derek Asuman & Charles Godfred Ackah & Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, 2021. "Multidimensional Child Poverty in Ghana: Measurements, Determinants, and Inequalities," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 957-979, June.
    9. Isaac Koomson & Raymond Elikplim Kofinti & Esther Laryea, 2024. "Financial inclusion and multidimensional child poverty," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 237-260, March.
    10. Rafi, Muhammed & Naseef, Mohemmad & Prasad, Salu, 2021. "Multidimensional energy poverty and human capital development: Empirical evidence from India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    11. Munyanyi, Musharavati Ephraim & Mintah, Kwabena & Baako, Kingsley Tetteh, 2021. "Energy-related deprivation and housing tenure transitions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    12. Julie Vinck, 2020. "Income poverty among children with a disability in Belgium: the interplay between parental employment, social background and targeted cash support," Working Papers 2009, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    13. Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Russell Smyth, 2020. "Friendship network composition and subjective well-being," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 72(1), pages 191-215.
    14. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell & Farrell, Lisa, 2020. "Fuel poverty and subjective wellbeing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    15. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa, 2020. "Ethnic diversity and transport poverty," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 297-309.
    16. Prakash, Kushneel & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2022. "Are you puffing your Children's future away? Energy poverty and childhood exposure to passive smoking," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    17. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince Maxwell & Adusah-Poku, Frank & Akoto, Isaac, 2022. "Off-farm work, cooking energy choice and time poverty in Ghana: An empirical analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    18. Isaac Koomson & Simplice A. Asongu & Alex O. Acheampong, 2023. "Financial inclusion and food insecurity: Examining linkages and potential pathways," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 418-444, January.
    19. Acheampong, Alex O. & Erdiaw-Kwasie, Michael Odei & Abunyewah, Matthew, 2021. "Does energy accessibility improve human development? Evidence from energy-poor regions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    20. Daniel Mont & Zachary Morris & Mercoledi Nasiir & Nanette Goodman, 2022. "Estimating Households’ Expenditures on Disability in Africa: The Uses and Limitations of the Standard of Living Method," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Elderly; Household welfare; Standard of living; Time Poverty; Ghana;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:162:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02871-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.