Correlates of social pension utilization among indigent elderly and its effects on their health status

• Main Author: Antiola, Michael Pitas
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Subjects: Elderly poor > Pensions > Zamboanga City; Elderly poor > Health
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4222
• Institution: De La Salle University

This descriptive study looked into the sociodemographic characteristics of male and female indigent elderly in Zamboanga City. It also sought to elicit their social pension utilization. Another aim was to find out the relationship between educational attainment, household headship, living arrangement and their social pension utilization. Likewise it described the health status of indigent elderly. Finally, the effect of social pension utilization on health status was examined in the study. The study employed the survey method particularly face to face interview using interview schedule. Fifty (50) males and fifty (50) females were chosen using non-probability sampling specifically quota sampling. The results of the study revealed that majority of male and female had reached elementary education, are considered household heads and mostly live with other people. It was also found that the elderly have other sources of income male elderly worked in fishing, farming, kaingin and other informal occupations. Social pension was seen as a major source of income of elderly where three-fourths were spent for health-related expenditures and about one-fourth was spent on non-health expenditures. It is shared with other household members of the family living with the elderly. The bulk of both male and female elderlys social pension went to health maintenance cost and food. In particular, male elderly spent more on food, personal medicines and cigarette while females spent more on medical consultation and non-health related expenditures such as toiletries, payment of debts and others needs. A large amount of pension was also used by female elderly for personal savings. Data further revealed that female elderly who are educated spend more social pension on health-related expenditure than non-educated elderly. Household headship, on the other hand, does not have any significant relationship with the elderlys social pension utilization. In terms of health status, both male and female elderly are in fairly good health. Social pension utilization has a positive effect on the health status of male elderly especially when social pension is shared with other household members which results to better health status. In effect male elderly are able to perform basic activities in their total mobility, sensory capacity and activities of daily living. Among female elderly, whether the beneficiary of the social pension is the elderly or other people, and regardless on the amount spent, data indicate that it had no effect in the improvement or decline of the health status of female indigent elderly.