Livelihood Information Endowment as a Correlate of Material Quality of Life among Rural Women in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the livelihood information endowment as a correlate of material quality of life among rural women in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 384 respondents using an interview schedule. Data collected on socioeconomic characteristics, livelihood information endowment (livelihood information sought and sources of information); constraints to livelihood information endowment and material quality of life were analysed with percentages, mean, standard deviation, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Chi-square at α0.05. The results showed that most of the respondents were cooperative society members (51.6%) with a mean year of former education being 8.0±4.62 years. The most accessible information sources were mobile phones (3.73±0.90) and husband (3.72±0.82) with livelihood information endowment being high at 55.7%. However, respondents’ prominent constraints to livelihood information endowment were network problem (0.40) and poor rural infrastructure (0.39). The respondents’ material quality of life status was low 52.1%, as most did not possess landed properties (58.1%). A significant relationship existed between respondents’ material quality of life and livelihood information endowment (r=0.134), social group belonged (r=0.153) and constraint to livelihood information endowment (r=-0.017). Constraints to livelihood information endowment inform the respondents’ Material Quality of Life status. Network providers should offer efficient services.