Capability and Health Functioning in Ethiopian Households

Abstract

From a recent Ethiopian representative household survey this paper empirically operationalizes concepts from the capability approach to shed light on the relationship between conversion factors, capability inputs and health functionings. The subjects of the study are women in partnership. The results suggest their health functionings are responsive to specific household bargaining power conversion factors and capability inputs. The paper also tests the extent to which women who take more decisions achieve better health functioning. The model offers evidence that decision-making and health functionings follow a complex pattern as women who took more decisions were not always better off. The conclusion of the paper is that health functioning may be improved by inducing changes to household decision-making patterns. © 2010 The Author(s).