Research on Ageing in Ghana from the 1950s to 2016: A bibliography and commentary

Abstract

This bibliography tracks research conducted on aging in Ghana from the 1950s to the present and aims to document the state of knowledge on aging research to inform future research, policies, and interventions. The bibliography has been developed as a companion to the Ghana Studies special section themed “Aging in Ghana: Addressing the Multifaceted Needs of Older Ghanaians.” We searched eight databases for research on aging and the elderly on Ghana, as well as three local journals, citation lists of authoritative texts, and the University of Ghana graduate theses database. We identified 115 eligible publications from nine disciplines: anthropology, demography/population studies, economics, medicine/medical sciences (physiology, psychiatry), psychology, public health/epidemiology, sociology, social policy and social work. Research focused on six empirical areas: demographic profiles and patterns of aging; the health status of older Ghanaians; care and support for older Ghanaians; roles and responsibilities of older Ghanaians; social representations of aging and social responses to older Ghanaians; and socio-economic status, social and financial protection, and other forms of support for older people. We present preliminary thematic notes on the empirical studies and discuss future trends in research on aging in Ghana.