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Pensions and the Health of Older People in South Africa: Is there an Effect?

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  • Peter Lloyd-Sherlock
  • Sutapa Agrawal

Abstract

This paper critically reviews evidence from low and middle income countries that pensions are associated with better health outcomes for older people. It draws on new, nationally representative survey data from South Africa to provide a systematic analysis of pension effects on health and quality of life. It reports significant associations with the frequency of health service utilisation, as well as with awareness and treatment of hypertension. There is, however, no association with actual control of hypertension, self-reported health or quality of life. The paper calls for a more balanced and integrated approach to social protection for older people.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Lloyd-Sherlock & Sutapa Agrawal, 2014. "Pensions and the Health of Older People in South Africa: Is there an Effect?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(11), pages 1570-1586, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:50:y:2014:i:11:p:1570-1586
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2014.936399
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    Cited by:

    1. Hwang, Inuk & Lee, Tae-Jin, 2022. "Health improvements of older adults based on benefit duration: Lessons from Korean social pension policies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    2. Fang Wang & Haitao Zheng, 2021. "Do Public Pensions Improve Mental Wellbeing? Evidence from the New Rural Society Pension Insurance Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Pak, Tae-Young, 2021. "What are the effects of expanding social pension on health? Evidence from the Basic Pension in South Korea," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    4. Oladele Atoyebi & Andrew Wister & Barbara Mitchell & Andrew Sixsmith, 2019. "A reformulation and assessment of the Global AgeWatch Wellbeing Index: inclusion of a gender-based domain," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 365-390, December.
    5. Haiyan Jia & Xiaoyu Sai & Yangyue Su & Ying Huang, 2022. "Measurement and Decomposition of the Health Poverty of Rural Residents in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-20, October.
    6. Aguila, Emma & Smith, James P., 2020. "Supplemental income program design: A cluster-randomized controlled trial to examine the health and wellbeing effects on older adults by gender, duration, and payment frequency," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    7. Manoj K Pandey & Vani S Kulkarni & Raghav Gaiha, 2017. "Aging, depression, and non-communicable diseases in South Africa," Departmental Working Papers 2017-04, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    8. Giulia Ferrari, 2022. "What is wellbeing for rural South African women? Textual analysis of focus group discussion transcripts and implications for programme design and evaluation," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Manoj K. Pandey & Vani S. Kulkarni & Raghav Gaiha, 2017. "What are the relationships between aging, depression, non-communicable diseases and disabilities in South Africa?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 122017, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    10. Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter & Amoakoh-Coleman, Mary, 2020. "A critical review of intervention and policy effects on the health of older people in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    11. Emma Aguila & Mariana López-Ortega & Luis Miguel Gutiérrez Robledo, 2018. "Non-contributory pension programs and frailty of older adults: Evidence from Mexico," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Murphy, Adrianna & Kowal, Paul & Albertini, Marco & Rechel, Bernd & Chatterji, Somnath & Hanson, Kara, 2018. "Family transfers and long-term care: An analysis of the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 195-201.
    13. Ivan Byaruhanga & Jonas Debesay, 2021. "The Impact of a Social Assistance Program on the Quality of Life of Older People in Uganda," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, January.
    14. Noelia Bernal & Javier Olivera & Marc Suhrcke, 2024. "The effects of social pensions on nutrition‐related health outcomes of the poor: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Peru," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 971-991, May.
    15. Noelia Bernal & Javier Olivera & Marc Suhrcke, 2022. "Assessing heterogeneity in the health effects of social pensions among the poor elderly: evidence from Peru," LISER Working Paper Series 2022-01, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    16. Riumallo Herl, Carlos & Kabudula, Chodziwadziwa & Kahn, Kathleen & Tollman, Stephen & Canning, David, 2022. "Pension exposure and health: Evidence from a longitudinal study in South Africa," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    17. Madeline E. Duhon & Edward Miguel & Amos Njuguna & Daniela Pinto Veizaga & Michael W. Walker, 2023. "Preparing for an Aging Africa: Data-Driven Priorities for Economic Research and Policy," NBER Working Papers 31750, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Margaret Ralston & Enid Schatz & Jane Menken & Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé & Stephen Tollman, 2015. "Who Benefits—Or Does not—From South Africa’s Old Age Pension? Evidence from Characteristics of Rural Pensioners and Non-Pensioners," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.

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