Demographic and Socioeconomic Determinants of Women Begging in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2007

Abstract

Background: Begging is a last resort of coping mechanisms of poverty, disability and various political, social and environmental crises. It is practiced to obtain from others. Objective: This study is attempted to investigate the demographic and socio-economic determinants of begging at Bahir Dar. Methods: case-control study design was used with a total population of 204 (102 cases[ beggars] and 102 controls[ non- beggars] ). Semi-structured questionnaire were used and entered in to SPSS for Windows version 15.0 for analysis. Result: reasons for beggar’s engagement in begging were, Poverty (98%) unemployment (78%) and physical handicap (54%) were identified. As to the background characteristics of respondents, the result of the binary logistic regression indicates that there was significant relation between begging and literacy status. The odds of begging decreases by 25% for literate respondents than their illiterate counterparts. In this study, beggaring was found increasing as age level increases. The logistic regression results also indicate that the odds of begging is 10.76 times higher for cases in the age group 25-34 years than younger cohorts (15-24 years). Annual household income also showed an association to be beggars between the groups. Conclusion and Recommendation: illiteracy, migration, old age and low annual household income were significantly associated with being beggar. Reducing rural urban migration and establishing an old age security system may solve the problem.