Aging
The Effects of The South African Older Person’s Grant on Food Expenditure Among Rural Older Adults: Findings from The Population-based HAALSI Study Haeyoon Chang* Haeyoon Chang Ryan G. Wagner Kyle L. Grazier Lindsay C. Kobayashi
Food insecurity is common among rural South African older adults and associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. The South African Government’s Older Person’s Grant (OPG) may enhance household income and alleviate food insecurity. We used a regression discontinuity design to examine changes in self-reported monthly household food expenditure at the OPG age-eligibility threshold, age 60, and effect modification by country of birth. Country of birth is an indicator of social stratification in the study region, as those born outside South Africa in this context are largely former refugees from Mozambique with lower education and literacy, who have historically lived segregated from their South African-born peers. Data were from 1,318 adults within five years of the pension age-eligibility threshold (age 60) in the population-representative “Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study in Rural South Africa” (HAALSI; 2014/15). We identified a statistically non-significant decrease of 70.98 Rand (95% CI= -147.69, 5.72) in monthly food expenditure with OPG eligibility. When stratified, older adults born outside of South Africa, experienced no significant changes in food expenditure with OPG eligibility, while South African-born older adults had a significant decrease of 108.40 Rand (95% CI= -194.79, -21.70) in food expenditure. This decrease represents 9% of the food insecurity threshold in South Africa where an average monthly food expenditure of <1,200 Rand for households of 3-4 members signals food insecurity. Results suggest potential variations in spending patterns may be influenced by country of birth in this setting. South African adults may have greater means and access to public benefits, leading to a more conservative approach to pension spending. These findings contribute to understanding how exogenous changes in income induced through pension eligibility may shape food security in resource-constrained settings.
