Assessing the Health Status and Disability Level of the Elderly Living in Nairobi Slums: An Analysis Using the Frontier Method

Ousmane Faye, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar

The aim of this paper is to use a parametric stochastic frontier approach (coming from the economic literature) to explore the impact of the occupational activities and the living conditions in the slums on the health performance among the adult population aged 50 and up. We measure older persons' health performance using the disability scores from the WHO. In our estimation strategy, we first consider the WHODAS II – 12 items score and thereafter simultaneously analyze several dimensions of health state description (cognitive, mobility, pain and discomfort, sleep and affect, etc.). We use individual data collected during the first panel survey of the aging component of Nairobi DSS. This survey focuses on older people living arrangements in Nairobi’s slums. It comprises information on their health profiles, economic activities, the cares and supports provided and received, and a broad range of self-reported assessments of health and well-being.