Abstract
Abstract
We assessed the relation between social pension benefits and health among poor older individuals in Colombia based on a qualitative case study (N = 51) using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants were beneficiaries of the Colombia Mayor social pension programme, recruited through snowball sampling in one rural and one urban area. Participants reported using cash benefits mainly for purchasing essential foods and medicines, as well as for paying for household utilities and satisfying personal needs. Beneficiaries of the programme view the latter as being positively associated with their health as it not only satisfies material needs but also increases their sense of autonomy, emotional wellbeing and also promotes a positive and cheerful attitude. Despite most beneficiaries perceiving the programme as positively associated with their health and wellbeing, results also highlight the importance of the various individual- as well as contextual-level factors in determining the relation between social pensions and health.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Geriatrics and Gerontology,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous),Social Psychology,Health(social science)
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