The Influence of Income and Livelihood Diversification on Health-Related Quality of Life in Rural Ethiopia

Abir Majbauddin, Shinji Otani, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Nigussie Haregeweyn, Misganaw Teshager Abeje, Zerihun Nigussie, Intekhab Alam, Qing Qing, Toshio Masumoto and Youichi Kurozawa
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Abir Majbauddin: International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Shinji Otani: International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Atsushi Tsunekawa: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Nigussie Haregeweyn: International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Misganaw Teshager Abeje: Institute of Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Studies, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
Zerihun Nigussie: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Intekhab Alam: International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Qing Qing: International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
Toshio Masumoto: Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan
Youichi Kurozawa: Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: Examining health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a rural setting can be beneficial for improving rural household policies and fostering public health promotion. The objective of this study was to measure the HRQOL and associated socioeconomic characteristics as well as test the reliability of the Amharic version of SF-8 (eight-item short form of HRQOL survey). A cross-sectional study was employed in three agroecologically different sites in rural Ethiopia, involving 270 household heads (218 male and 52 female) with a mean age ± standard deviation of 49 ± 12.88 years. The survey material consisted of a structured questionnaire for socioeconomic characteristics and SF-8 for HRQOL. The mean physical and mental component summary score of the whole sample was 30.50 ± 12.18 and 34.40 ± 7.26, respectively, well underneath the instrument average of 50. The SF-8 items showed excellent internal consistency in terms of both Cronbach’s α coefficients and item–total correlation. In stepwise multiple linear regression, the low-income group had worse self-perceived physical health than the higher-income groups. Likewise, a diversified livelihood had a profound influence on positive self-perceived physical health. These findings imply that developing and distributing wide-ranging socioeconomic and public health policies is crucial for effective health promotion in rural communities.

Keywords: health-related quality of life; SF-8; socioeconomic; income; livelihood diversification; physical health; Ethiopia; drought (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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