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.