Table 1 Socio-demographic and economic characteristics among the elderly at North Shoa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2020 (n = 822)
Variables | Number of respondents | Percent |
|---|---|---|
Age | ||
 60–69 | 265 | 32.2 |
 70–79 | 303 | 36.9 |
 80–89 | 198 | 24.1 |
 ≥ 90 | 56 | 6.8 |
Sex | ||
 Male | 422 | 51.3 |
 Female | 400 | 48.7 |
Marital status | ||
 Single | 164 | 20.0 |
 Married | 309 | 37.6 |
 Widowed | 228 | 27.7 |
 Divorced | 121 | 14.7 |
Educational status | ||
 No formal education | 578 | 70.3 |
 Literate/formal education | 244 | 29.7 |
Number of children | ||
 No children | 190 | 23.2 |
 One child | 80 | 9.7 |
 Two children | 158 | 19.2 |
 Three and above | 394 | 47.9 |
Source of income | ||
 Retirement | 34 | 4.1 |
 Helped by family | 148 | 18.0 |
 Farmer | 244 | 29.7 |
 Merchant | 42 | 5.1 |
 No income | 354 | 43.1 |
Place of residence | ||
 Urban | 232 | 28.2 |
 Rural | 590 | 71.8 |
Traveling the distance to receive health care | ||
 ≤ 5 km | 676 | 82.2 |
 > 5 km | 146 | 17.8 |
Living status | ||
 Alone | 380 | 46.2 |
 With a married child | 256 | 31.2 |
 With spouse | 94 | 11.4 |
 With spouse and child | 92 | 11.2 |
Social support environment available | ||
 No | 550 | 66.9 |
 Yes | 272 | 33.1 |
Co-morbidity/chronic disease | ||
 No | 608 | 74.0 |
 Yes | 214 | 26.0 |
Current substance use | ||
 Alcohol | 318 | 38.7 |
 Chewing khat | 6 | 0.7 |
 Tobacco | 42 | 5.1 |
 Coffee/caffeine | 126 | 15.3 |
 No current substance use | 330 | 40.2 |