GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CARE SUPPORTS RECEIVED BY OLDER PERSONS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

 

Moses Ayokunle Akanbi¹*, Dominic Ezinwa Azuh², Muyiwa Oladosun³, Ajibade Ebenezer Jegede⁴, & Paul Oluwatomipe Adekola⁵

¹Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, adebanke.moses.akanbi@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

²Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, dominic.azuh@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

³Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, muyiwa.oladosun@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁴Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Sociology, Covenant

University, Nigeria, ajibade.jegede@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁵Mr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, paul.adekola@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

*Corresponding author

 

Abstract

In most of the African societies, cares of older people are entrusted in the custody of the adult females due to the fact that they are usually available to attend to them whenever the need arises. In recent times, the upsurge of older persons across the globe made it imperative for us to explore the issues pertaining to their care supports. In the light of this fact, this paper investigates the gender differences in care supports received by older persons in Ogun state, Nigeria. The method of data collection employed in this study was Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). To be precise, four Focus Group Discussions were conducted in the study. It is important to note that 4-6 respondents participated in each FGD at different locations in the study due to non-availability of other participants. The eligible respondents in this study are family care givers (29-57 years). Content analyses of data collected were done in the study. The key findings of this paper indicate the following: Obviously, more proportion of male family care-givers take care of their older parents than their female counterparts in the study. No doubt, the major proportions of male family care-givers in this study were committed to giving physical, financial and medical care-supports to their older parents. In-fact, the mean age of majority of male family care-givers is 54 years. To be specific, the dominant proportion of male family care-givers acquired tertiary education and this has great influence on their care-supports towards the older parents. Furthermore, greater proportion of male family care-givers have equal preference to giving care-supports towards older fathers and mothers compared to their female counterparts with preference to giving care-supports to older fathers or mothers in the study. In the light of the afore-stated, the paper recommends that as a matter of urgency, the female family care-givers in Ogun state and other South-west Nigerian states should assume their traditional leading roles of giving care-supports to their older parents. Lastly, the study advocated that the female care givers with preference to giving care-supports to older fathers or mothers should change that mentality and imbibe the culture of fairness to giving equal care-supports to both older parents (fathers and mothers) in Ogun state as well as in South-western Nigeria at large.

Keywords: Gender differences, older persons and Focus Group Discussions