Socio-Economic Determinants of Health and Physical Fitness in Southern Ethiopia

Posted: 21 Mar 2003

See all articles by Ayal Kimhi

Ayal Kimhi

Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Department of Environmental Economics & Management; Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment; Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research

Abstract

The dependence of health and physical fitness on the socio-economic factors of rural families in southern Ethiopia is investigated, with particular emphasis on the role of inequality. This paper contributes to our knowledge of the effect of inequality on health in several ways: It compares the results of objective and subjective health measures, it distinguishes between wealth inequality and nutrition inequality, and it evaluates the impact of nutrition inequality both at the village level and at the household level. The subjective health measures are the number of days respondents were ill during the last month, their ability to walk distances, their ability to carry heavy loads, and their ability to work in the field. The objective health measure is having Body Mass Index (BMI) lower than 18.5. Males are healthier than females. Height has a positive and significant effect on health and fitness and the same is true for per-capita wealth measured at the village level. Availability of satisfactory health facilities has a negative effect on morbidity. Per-capita wealth inequality is positively associated with morbidity and with a low BMI. Within-household nutrition inequality has a complex effect on health and physical fitness: The effect is negative, but only for household members whose nutritional status is above the household mean. The results indicate a clear positive effect of economic well-being on health and physical fitness. The role of inequality is less clear, and certainly deserves further analyses at both the theoretical and empirical levels.

Keywords: health, physical fitness, wealth inequality, nutrition inequality

JEL Classification: I12, I30, O15, O55, P46, R20

Suggested Citation

Kimhi, Ayal, Socio-Economic Determinants of Health and Physical Fitness in Southern Ethiopia. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=382223

Ayal Kimhi (Contact Author)

Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Department of Environmental Economics & Management ( email )

Rehovot, 76100
Israel

HOME PAGE: http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/economics/kimhi.html

Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment ( email )

Jerusalem
Israel

Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research ( email )

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