Coverage of non-receipt of cash transfer (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) and associated factors among older persons in the Mampong Municipality, Ghana – a quantitative analysis

Abstract

Background Social assistance in the form of cash transfer or in-kind has been recognised as a social protection strategy in many developing countries to tackle poverty and provide protection for individuals and households. Ghana’s cash grant programme, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), was introduced in 2008 to support selected households with vulnerable persons including older people 65 years and above, and persons with disabilities. This paper examined the coverage of non-receipt of LEAP, and the associated factors among older persons (65+ years) in the Mampong Municipality, Ghana. Methods Data were extracted from the Ageing, Social Protection and Health Systems (ASPHS) survey carried out between September 2017 and October 2017 among older persons residing in LEAP-targeted communities. Data were analysed using descriptive and sequential logistic regression model techniques. Results The mean age of respondents was 77.0 years and 62.3% were females. Rural residents constituted 59.0%. About 42.0% had no formal education and only 20.5% had no form of caregiving. Non-receipt of LEAP was 82.7% among study respondents. The fully adjusted model showed that being married (AOR = 3.406, CI 1.127–10.290), residing in an urban location (AOR = 3.855, CI 1.752–8.484), having attained primary level of education (AOR = 0.246, CI 0.094–0.642), and not residing in the same household with a primary caregiver (AOR = 6.088, CI 1.814–20.428) were significantly associated with non-receipt of cash grant among older persons. Conclusion These results provide the first quantitative estimates of non-receipt coverage and its associated factors with the LEAP programme, which can inform the design of government policies related to cash transfers for older persons. The need for further research using different approaches to understand and explain the impact of cash grants on older persons’ well-being is crucial in strengthening old age social support care mechanisms in Ghana.

Prevalence, perceptions and associated factors of health insurance enrollment among older persons in selected cash grant communities in Ghana: a cross-sectional mixed method

“…Three in every five older persons are engaged in agriculture among both the survey and FGD participants. In this study, participants are more likely to reside in rural areas, and similar studies have supported this finding [ 12 , 13 , 44 , 45 ]. This could be attributed to the fact that persons engaged in agriculture are more likely to be found in the informal sector, and rural areas, and may largely be non-contributors to social security which guarantees automatic health insurance coverage.…”

Impact of Safety Nets on Household Coping Mechanisms for COVID-19 Pandemic in Malawi

“…Based on the above, we may speculate that this was such a case since most of the times, the households that are included in these programs hardly make enough incomes from which they can save (23,24). When hit by any shock, such households rely more on assistance, whether formal safety net programs or informal remittances from friends and family.…”

Methodology and reporting quality of 544 studies related to ageing: a continued discussion in setting priorities for ageing research in Africa

“…Currently, eleven countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria, have implemented ageing policies. 130,131 These countries relatively have the highest number of high-quality articles across all study design; for instance, Nigeria: 62,93,108 ; South Africa: 24,64,117,132,133 ; Tanzania: 116,134,135 ; Mozambique: 136 ; Kenya: 137,138 ; Ethiopia: 139 ; Uganda: [140][141][142] ; Ghana: [143][144][145] . Even though Rwanda and Cameroon's ageing policies are at the drafting stage, studies from these countries were not of high quality and further highlighted our assertion that implementing ageing policies could help improve the quality of ageing studies in SSA.…”