Primary Submission Category: Aging
Aging Through the Pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Satveer Dhillon, Isaiah Omondi, Diana Karanja, Elijah Bisung, Sarah Dickin, Kenneth Mugayehwenkyi, Justine Nagawa, Susan J. Elliott,
Presenting Author: Susan Elliott*
The COVID-19 pandemic directly and indirectly impacted older adults residing in low- and middle-income regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Older women in SSA were disproportionately affected due to several compounding factors. For example, in SSA, older women are primarily responsible for household tasks, such as collecting water. Further exacerbated by the limited financial support available and the weak health infrastructure in place, older women are uniquely vulnerable. However, there has been limited research examining the effects of COVID-19 among older women residing in SSA. Hence, our research, conducted in partnership with local community partners, investigates the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and various determinants on the health and wellbeing of older women in Kenya and Uganda. Using surveys from 231 older women in Kenya and 211 older women in Uganda, we used a generalized linear model with a complimentary loglog link function to identify the factors associated with emotional distress, wellbeing, and health status. Our results indicated that less than 20% of older women in Kenya and Uganda had experienced an improvement in wellbeing post-COVID compared to during the pandemic. Further, there continues to remain a negative impact on emotional distress levels, which is associated with several variables such as water insecurity and lower access to capital. In terms of health status, those who had health insurance, believed they had access to good quality healthcare and had the ability to make decisions in purchasing large household items had better perceived health. Our key recommendations address both direct and indirect pandemic impacts. These include strengthening household gender dynamics, advocating for greater government support, and ensuring that older women’s voices are heard when generating tailored solutions. By doing so, older women living in SSA can receive the support they need, especially during future public health crises.