Predictors of Self-Appraised Health Status in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana

Whereas determinants of self-assessed health status -subjective health are well scrutinized in developed countries, little is known about factors influencing how people appraise their own health in Sub-Sahara Africa. In the context of increasing burden of care due to high incidence of chronic diseases, poverty and social transformation this paper explores the predictors of self-appraised health status in Ghana. Using 2005–2008 wave of the World Values Survey, the authors employ parametric and ordered logistic regression techniques to assess the relative effect of economic, cultural, social capital, geographic, and demographic factors in molding subjective health among Ghanaians. The study reveals that cultural background has independent significant effect on subjective health over and above individual characteristics. The relative importance of cultural background in shaping subjective health is more significant and salient for Ewes compared to Akans. Income, age and satisfaction with life are noncultural variables that consistently emerged as predictors of subjective health among the respondents. Policy implications of the study are discussed echoing the need to adopt multidimensional approach to improving overall health paying attention to cultural background in the country. It is also suggested that more studies into the interplay between cultural background and social capital variables and subjective health are needed to untangle the rationale behind the association between culture and social capital and health status in the country. Future areas of research are also alluded to.     

In Defence of a Dogma: Davidson, Languages, and Conceptual Schemes

In this paper I draw on Davidson's work to generate counter examples to his claim that since there are no untranslatable languages there are also no alternative conceptual schemes. I argue that Davidson's argument to that effect is based upon an equivocation.     

Counterexamples to Recovery and the Filtering Condition

David Makinson has argued that the compelling character of counterexamples to the Recovery Condition on contraction is due to an appeal to justificational structure. In “naked theories” where such structure is ignored or is not present, Recovery does apply. This note attempts to show that Makinson is mistaken on both counts. Recovery fails when no appeal is made to justificational structure. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Self-Efficacy and Burnout in Teaching: The Importance of Interpersonal-Relations Efficacy

This study investigated the association between perceived self-efficacy and burnout among teachers. Self-efficacy has been defined operationally based on a three-dimensional conceptualization: task, relations and organization. Efficacy variables were three classroom efficacy factors: instruction (task), discipline control (task), and consideration (relations), and two organizational efficacy factors: inclusion (task) and influence (relations). Burnout was measured as both a three-dimensional measure comprised of exhaustion, unaccomplishment and depersonalization, and as a single dimension (a composite score including all three dimensions). A sample of 322 Israeli teachers completed a self-report questionnaire. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple regression analysis were used. It was found that perceived sense of self-efficacy was inversely correlated with perceived burnout: the lower the sense of self-efficacy, the higher the perceived burnout. The salience of organizational influence efficacy, and consideration efficacy (both are relations efficacies) were noted as important variables in predicting exhaustion, unaccomplishment and depersonalization. Task efficacies (e.g., instruction, discipline control, and inclusion) had no significant or meaningful weight in statistically predicting burnout beyond the relations efficacies. The importance of the organizational self-efficacy (teachers' beliefs in their ability to influence social and political forces within the organization, involvement in planning and executing important activities, as well as ability to draw upon the organization's resources to provide support and assistance) was discussed.