6 - The Role of Older Persons in Uganda: Assessing Socio-demographic Determinants of Older Persons’ Value
Corresponding Author(s) : Abel Nzabona
Africa Development,
Vol. 40 No. 4 (2015): Africa Development
Abstract
Extensive research has been conducted on diverse socio-demographic issues such as child and maternal mortality in Uganda but the contribution of older persons to their households and communities has been comparatively under-investigated. This article bridges the gap by discussing prevalence and determinants of the value of persons aged sixty and above in the country. Four rural districts were randomly selected while one urban area was purposively chosen in a cross-sectional study conducted from March to April 2012. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on 605 older persons. Engagement in income-generating activities, possession of indigenous knowledge, advice on behaviour norms, role played in social organizations, propagation of cultural norms, dispensing local medicine and providing childcare were all aspects of value studied. Using scaling technique, these eight variables were aggregated into a single total indicator of value, operationally defined as aggregate value. The variable was then dichotomized into low aggregate value and high aggregate value. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse socio-demographic factors predicting high aggregate value. Findings indicate that nearly four in ten older persons had high aggregate value. In comparison with persons of no education, those having primary and secondary or higher education were more likely to have high aggregate value. In comparison with persons who did not own land, those who owned land were more likely to have high aggregate value. Results further indicate that having out-migrated children predicted high aggregate value. In comparison with the Central region of the country, older persons living in the Western, Northern and Kampala regions were more likely to have high aggregate value. The findings have several implications including for the design of later-life socio-economic programmes, establishment of a special old age fund and increasing learner access and retention rates in the national education system.
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- Adams, K.B., Leibbrandt, S. and Moon, H., 2011, ‘A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life’, Ageing and Society 31 (4): 683–712.
- Akerreta, S., Calvo, M.I. and Cavero, R.Y., 2010, ‘Ethnoveterinary knowledge in Navarra (Iberian Peninsula)’, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 130 (2): 369–78.
- Alexis, S., 2006, ‘Families Across Borders: The Effects of Migration on Family Members Remaining at Home’, University of North Carolina.
- Barrientos, A., Gorman, M. and Heslop, A., 2003, ‘Old age poverty in developing countries: contributions and dependence in later life’, World Development 31 (3): 555–70.
- Bath, P.A. and Deeg, D., 2005, ‘Social engagement and health outcomes among older people: introduction to a special section’, European Journal of Ageing 2 (1): 24–30.
- Cloos, P., Allen, C.F., Alvarado, B.E., Zunzunegui, M.V., Simeon, D.T. and Eldemire-Shearer, D., 2010, ‘“Active ageing”: a qualitative study in six Caribbean countries’, Ageing and Society 30 (1): 79–101.
- Czaja, S.J., 2007, ‘Productivity and age’, in J. Birren, ed., Encyclopedia of Growth, New York: Elsevier.
- Davey, J.A., 2002, ‘Active ageing and education in mid and later life’, Ageing and Society 22 (1): 95–113.
- De Albuquerque, U.P., Soldati, G.T., Sieber, S.S., Ramos, M.A., de Sá, J.C. and de Souza, L.C., 2011, ‘The use of plants in the medical system of the Fulni-ô people(NE Brazil): a perspective on age and gender’, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 133 (2): 866–73.
- Du, Y., Park, A. and Wang, S., 2005, ‘Migration and rural poverty in China’, Journal of Comparative Economics 33 (4): 688–709.
- Dudgeon, R.C. and Berkes, F., 2003, ‘Local Understandings of the Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge’, in H. Selin, ed., Nature Across Cultures, Springer.
- Erb, S., 2008, The Protection of Older People in Northern Uganda: Needs, Contributions and Barriers to Reurn, Geneva: HelpAge/UNHCR.
- Espenshade, T.J., 1977, ‘The value and cost of children’, Population Bulletin, 32 (1) n.1.
- Fawcett, J.T., 1985, Perceptions of the Value of Children: Satisfaction and Costs, East–West Center, East-West Population Institute.
- Giovannini, P., Reyes-García, V., Waldstein, A. and Heinrich, M., 2011, ‘Do pharmaceuticals displace local knowledge and use of medicinal plants? Estimates from a cross-sectional study in a rural indigenous community, Mexico’, Social Science and Medicine 72 (6): 928–36.
- Gray, A., 2009, ‘The social capital of older people’, Ageing and Society 29 (1): 5.
- Hayward, M. and Grady, W., 1990, ‘Work and retirement among a cohort of older men in the United States, 1966–1983’, Demography 27 (3): 337–56.
- Hoffman, L.W. and Manis, J.D., 1979, ‘The value of children in the United States: a new approach to the study of fertility’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 583–96.
- Kish, L., 1965, Survey Sampling, New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Massey, D.S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A. and Taylor, J E., 1993, ‘Theories of international migration: a review and appraisal’, Population and Development Review, 431–66.
- McMunn, A., Nazroo, J., Wahrendorf, M., Breeze, E. and Zaninotto, P., 2009, ‘Participation in socially-productive activities, reciprocity and wellbeing in later life: baseline results in England’, Ageing and Society 29 (5): 765–82.
- Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD), 2009, National Policy for Older Persons. Unpublished Report, Kampala.
- Ntozi, J.P.M. and Nakayiwa, S., 1999, ‘AIDS in Uganda: how has the household coped with the epidemic?’, The Continuing African HIV/AIDS Epidemic, 155–81.
- Oppong, C., 2006, ‘Familial roles and social transformations: older men and women in sub-Saharan Africa’, Research on Aging 28 (6): 654–68.
- Perren, K., Arber, S. and Davidson, K., 2003, ‘Men’s organisational affiliations in later life: the influence of social class and marital status on informal group membership’, Ageing and Society 23 (1): 69–82.
- Perren, K., Arber, S. and Davidson, K., 2004, ‘Neighbouring in later life: the influence of socio-economic resources, gender and household composition on neighbourly relationships’, Sociology 38 (5): 965–84.
- Population Reference Bureau (PRB), 2013, World Population Data Sheet, Washington.
- Schatz, E. and Ogunmefun, C., 2007, ‘Caring and contributing: the role of older women in rural South African multi-generational households in the HIV/AIDS era’, World Development 35 (8): 1390–403.
- Scholten, F., Mugisha, J., Seeley, J., Kinyanda, E., Nakubukwa, S., Kowal, P. and Boerma, T., 2011, ‘Health and functional status among older people with HIV/AIDS in Uganda’, BMC Public Health 11: 886.
- Spitzer, H., Rwegoshora, H. and Mabeyo, Z.M., 2009, The (Missing) Social Protection for Older People in Tanzania: A Comparative Study in Rural and Urban Areas, Feldkirchen and Dar es Salaam: University of Applied Sciences (Austria) and Institute of Social Work (Tanzania).
- Ssengonzi, R., 2007, ‘The plight of older persons as caregivers to people infected/affected by HIV/AIDS: evidence from Uganda’, Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 22 (4): 339–53.
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2006, The 2005 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey Report, Kampala.
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2008, Inward Remittances, 2008, Kampala.
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2010, Uganda National Household Survey, 2009/2010. Socioeconomic Module. Abridged Report, Kampala.
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) (2012), Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Kampala.
- United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and Help Age International (HAI), 2012, Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge, New York.
- Wellman, B., 1992, ‘Which types of ties and networks provide what kinds of social support?’, Advances in Group Processes 9: 207–35.
- World Health Organisation (WHO), 2002, Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. A contribution of the World Health Organization to the Second United Nations World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, April.
- World Health Organisation (WHO), 2011, Summary: World report on disability 2011, Geneva: World Health Organization.
- Women Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), 2011, Gold Age Pensioners. Valuing the Socio-economic Contribution of Older People in the United Kingdom, London.
References
Adams, K.B., Leibbrandt, S. and Moon, H., 2011, ‘A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life’, Ageing and Society 31 (4): 683–712.
Akerreta, S., Calvo, M.I. and Cavero, R.Y., 2010, ‘Ethnoveterinary knowledge in Navarra (Iberian Peninsula)’, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 130 (2): 369–78.
Alexis, S., 2006, ‘Families Across Borders: The Effects of Migration on Family Members Remaining at Home’, University of North Carolina.
Barrientos, A., Gorman, M. and Heslop, A., 2003, ‘Old age poverty in developing countries: contributions and dependence in later life’, World Development 31 (3): 555–70.
Bath, P.A. and Deeg, D., 2005, ‘Social engagement and health outcomes among older people: introduction to a special section’, European Journal of Ageing 2 (1): 24–30.
Cloos, P., Allen, C.F., Alvarado, B.E., Zunzunegui, M.V., Simeon, D.T. and Eldemire-Shearer, D., 2010, ‘“Active ageing”: a qualitative study in six Caribbean countries’, Ageing and Society 30 (1): 79–101.
Czaja, S.J., 2007, ‘Productivity and age’, in J. Birren, ed., Encyclopedia of Growth, New York: Elsevier.
Davey, J.A., 2002, ‘Active ageing and education in mid and later life’, Ageing and Society 22 (1): 95–113.
De Albuquerque, U.P., Soldati, G.T., Sieber, S.S., Ramos, M.A., de Sá, J.C. and de Souza, L.C., 2011, ‘The use of plants in the medical system of the Fulni-ô people(NE Brazil): a perspective on age and gender’, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 133 (2): 866–73.
Du, Y., Park, A. and Wang, S., 2005, ‘Migration and rural poverty in China’, Journal of Comparative Economics 33 (4): 688–709.
Dudgeon, R.C. and Berkes, F., 2003, ‘Local Understandings of the Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge’, in H. Selin, ed., Nature Across Cultures, Springer.
Erb, S., 2008, The Protection of Older People in Northern Uganda: Needs, Contributions and Barriers to Reurn, Geneva: HelpAge/UNHCR.
Espenshade, T.J., 1977, ‘The value and cost of children’, Population Bulletin, 32 (1) n.1.
Fawcett, J.T., 1985, Perceptions of the Value of Children: Satisfaction and Costs, East–West Center, East-West Population Institute.
Giovannini, P., Reyes-García, V., Waldstein, A. and Heinrich, M., 2011, ‘Do pharmaceuticals displace local knowledge and use of medicinal plants? Estimates from a cross-sectional study in a rural indigenous community, Mexico’, Social Science and Medicine 72 (6): 928–36.
Gray, A., 2009, ‘The social capital of older people’, Ageing and Society 29 (1): 5.
Hayward, M. and Grady, W., 1990, ‘Work and retirement among a cohort of older men in the United States, 1966–1983’, Demography 27 (3): 337–56.
Hoffman, L.W. and Manis, J.D., 1979, ‘The value of children in the United States: a new approach to the study of fertility’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 583–96.
Kish, L., 1965, Survey Sampling, New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Massey, D.S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A. and Taylor, J E., 1993, ‘Theories of international migration: a review and appraisal’, Population and Development Review, 431–66.
McMunn, A., Nazroo, J., Wahrendorf, M., Breeze, E. and Zaninotto, P., 2009, ‘Participation in socially-productive activities, reciprocity and wellbeing in later life: baseline results in England’, Ageing and Society 29 (5): 765–82.
Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD), 2009, National Policy for Older Persons. Unpublished Report, Kampala.
Ntozi, J.P.M. and Nakayiwa, S., 1999, ‘AIDS in Uganda: how has the household coped with the epidemic?’, The Continuing African HIV/AIDS Epidemic, 155–81.
Oppong, C., 2006, ‘Familial roles and social transformations: older men and women in sub-Saharan Africa’, Research on Aging 28 (6): 654–68.
Perren, K., Arber, S. and Davidson, K., 2003, ‘Men’s organisational affiliations in later life: the influence of social class and marital status on informal group membership’, Ageing and Society 23 (1): 69–82.
Perren, K., Arber, S. and Davidson, K., 2004, ‘Neighbouring in later life: the influence of socio-economic resources, gender and household composition on neighbourly relationships’, Sociology 38 (5): 965–84.
Population Reference Bureau (PRB), 2013, World Population Data Sheet, Washington.
Schatz, E. and Ogunmefun, C., 2007, ‘Caring and contributing: the role of older women in rural South African multi-generational households in the HIV/AIDS era’, World Development 35 (8): 1390–403.
Scholten, F., Mugisha, J., Seeley, J., Kinyanda, E., Nakubukwa, S., Kowal, P. and Boerma, T., 2011, ‘Health and functional status among older people with HIV/AIDS in Uganda’, BMC Public Health 11: 886.
Spitzer, H., Rwegoshora, H. and Mabeyo, Z.M., 2009, The (Missing) Social Protection for Older People in Tanzania: A Comparative Study in Rural and Urban Areas, Feldkirchen and Dar es Salaam: University of Applied Sciences (Austria) and Institute of Social Work (Tanzania).
Ssengonzi, R., 2007, ‘The plight of older persons as caregivers to people infected/affected by HIV/AIDS: evidence from Uganda’, Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 22 (4): 339–53.
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2006, The 2005 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey Report, Kampala.
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2008, Inward Remittances, 2008, Kampala.
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2010, Uganda National Household Survey, 2009/2010. Socioeconomic Module. Abridged Report, Kampala.
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) (2012), Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Kampala.
United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and Help Age International (HAI), 2012, Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge, New York.
Wellman, B., 1992, ‘Which types of ties and networks provide what kinds of social support?’, Advances in Group Processes 9: 207–35.
World Health Organisation (WHO), 2002, Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. A contribution of the World Health Organization to the Second United Nations World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, April.
World Health Organisation (WHO), 2011, Summary: World report on disability 2011, Geneva: World Health Organization.
Women Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), 2011, Gold Age Pensioners. Valuing the Socio-economic Contribution of Older People in the United Kingdom, London.