Predicting financial barriers to formal healthcare utilisation among poor older people under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme in Ghana

Poor older people surviving under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme continue to experience financial difficulties to formal healthcare utilisation despite the cash transfers aimed at alleviating poverty and improving their formal healthcare utilisation. However, little is known about prevalence, nature, and factors associated with financial barriers to formal healthcare utilisation among the poor older people under the LEAP programme. Here, we estimate socio-economic and demographic factors predicting financial barriers to formal healthcare utilisation among the poor older people using survey data from the Atwima Nwabiagya District. The study finds that females (AOR: 1.107; C1 0.45–2.75, P = 0.027), those aged 85 years or above (AOR: 1.438; CI 1.165–6.166, P = 0.009) and who receive no family supports (AOR: 1.631; CI 1.304–3.309, P = 0.016) are significantly more likely to encounter financial barriers to formal healthcare utilisation compared with their counterparts. The study further reveals that participants with a high school education (AOR: 0.312; CI 0.019–0.711, P = 0.040) and who receive a monthly income of GH¢ 201 (US$42.14) or more (AOR: 0.669; CI 0.256–1.046, P = 0.011) are significantly less likely to face financial barriers to formal healthcare utilisation. Our study suggests that there is a need for the LEAP programme implementers to incorporate gender and age group-specific measures aimed at improving the financial situation of poor older women and the least economically productive age groups. Based on the findings, we conclude that access to education at the early stages of life is likely to improve the financial situation and access to formal healthcare during old age.