The Effect of Health Status on Labor Force Participation in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the health status affects on the level of participation in the labour force
- To ascertain the effect of female health status on labour force participation
- To ascertain the effect of male health status on labour force participation
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Theoretical Literature Review
Grossman’s (1972, 2000) model on the demand for health exposited on the relationship among individual’s health, human capital and labour force participation. The model built on the Becker’ (1964) model on human capital theory. According to this model, an individual’s health stock determines the total amount of time the individual engaged in labour, while his stock of knowledge determines his market and non-market productivity (Grossman, 2000). According to Becker (1964), an individual’s current health stock depends on past investment made on health and the rate of depreciation of health stock. Health is both consumption and production goods. As consumption goods, it enters into an individual’s utility function given that there is a psychic utility associated with being healthy. As production goods health is an essential input in the production process since it frees up streams of healthy time utilized in producing both health and non-health goods (Novignon, Novignon and Arthur, 2015). However, an individual’s health stock diminishes over time approaching a threshold level where death may occur, but the rate of depreciation may be slowed down through appropriate investment in health, which includes medicare, good dieting, housing facilities and sleep (Grossman, 1972). The pure investment model analyses health capital as an output generated from time allocated to health production, hence good health provides extra time to engage in productive activities that determine income levels over an individual’s lifetime (Novignon Novignon and Arthur, 2015).
Conceptual Issues
Health is a specific feature of a human being, defining to a considerable extent the possibility of using one’s own physical and mental efforts, abilities and experience in the labour market. Similarly, professional development depends on an employee’s health condition. Health belongs to rare goods that are difficult to evaluate. Apart from education and professional experience, health is one of the three most important factors determining the quality of human capital. According to a universal definition of health recommended by, health is not only a complete absence of diseases or disability but also a condition of full physical, mental and social well-being. What should be highlighted within the context of the above definition is that the state of health is defined most of all with the use of a subjective evaluation of one’s well-being rather than with the use of hard quantitative indicators (e.g. blood pressure level). Such a definition of health has certain consequences. Firstly, two hypothetical persons of ‘objectively’ similar health condition (on the basis of results of medical tests) may evaluate their health in two different ways. The ‘burdensomeness’ of health problems stem to a great extent from their subjective perception by a given person.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of health status on labour force participation in Nigeria. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the effect of health status on labour force participation in Nigeria
Summary
This study was on the effect of health status on labour force participation in Nigeria. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the health status affects on the level of participation in the labour force, to ascertain the effect of female health status on labour force participation and to ascertain the effect of male health status on labour force participation . A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected primary schools in Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study sets out to investigate the effect of health status on labour force participation drawing on data from the General Household Survey (GHS), and a logistic regression model for its analysis. The research was motivated by the keen interest of policymakers all over the world on the benefits of improved health on labour productivity and general economic performance. The assumption is that health workers have both physical and cognitive development pertinent to engaging in the labour market. The results confirm the influence of health status on labour force participation among Nigerian households. Therefore, poor health status reduces labour force participation. Also, we conclude that higher educational attainment improves the probability of participating in the labour force.
Recommendation
Effort should be made to increase life expectancy rate in Nigeria. Nigeria‘s low expectancy rate at birth happens to be very low, and low life expectancy rate is due to economic hardship and political, religious and civil unrest. Nigerian government should commit policy efforts in reducing cost of living, improving living standard and quelling all kinds of unrest.
References
- Aminu A. (2010): Determinants of Participation and Earnings in Wage Employment in Nigeria Paper Presented in 5th IZA/World Ban Conference on Employment And Development; 3rd – 4th May.
- Anugwom E.E. (2009): ‘Women, Education and Work in Nigeria’; Educational Research and Review, Vol. 4 (4); pp. 127-134, April.
- Aromolaran, A (2004): ‘Female Schooling, Non-Market Productivity, and Labor Market Participation in Nigeria’ Economic Growth Centre, Discussion Paper 879, Yale University, USA.
- Bowen, W.G. and T. A. Finegan (1969). The Economics of Labor Force Participation, Princeton University Press.
- Durand, J.D. (1975). The Labor Force in Economic Development, Princeton University Press.
- H’madoun Maryam (2010): ‘Religion and Labor Force Participation of Women’ Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp. Downloaded from http://www.ua.ac.be/tew; accessed on 21st December, 2010.
- ILO (2013): Key Indicators of the Labour Market. [email protected]. Accessed on December 10, 2013.
- Lisaniler F.G. and F. Bhatti (2005): ‘Determinants of Female Labor Force Participation: A Study of North Cyprus’; Review of Social, Economic and Business Studies; Vol 5/6; pp. 209-226.
- Magidu, Nyende (2010): ‘Socio-economic investigation into determinants of labor force participation in labor markets: Evidence from Uganda. Mimeo. Economic Policy Research Centre, Makerere University, Uganda. Downloaded from http://www.iza.org/conference_files/worldb2010/nyede_m6067.pdf. Accessed on December 22, 2010.
- Mincer, Jacob (1962): ‘Labor Force Participation of Married Women: A Study of Labor Supply’ Aspects of Labor Economics – A Conference of the Universities: National Bureau Committee for Economic Research, Princeton University Press, NJ USA.
- Peek, Peter (1978): ‘A Simultaneous Equation Model of Household Behavior’ in Standing, G. and G. Sheehan (eds.) (1978): Labor Force Participation in Low Income Countries; ILO, Geneva.
- Sackey, H.A. (2005): ‘Female Labor Force Participation in Ghana: The Effects of Education’. AERC Research Paper 150, Nairobi.
