Undernourishment on Longevity in West Africa: A Group Outcome

Abstract

The length of time a person lives from the date of birth is an essential dimension of a country’s level of development. Several factors have been identified as responsible for longevity. This study investigated the effect of undernourishment prevalence and other factors on longevity in West Africa from 2000-2018. Using panel data, the random coefficient model was employed to examine the effect of a novel variable, such as the prevalence of undernourishment and others (government expenditure on health, population density, unemployment and out-of-pocket expenditure) on longevity. Except for a few, the findings revealed that longevity is a decreasing function of the prevalence of undernourishment in West Africa. In contrast, it was revealed that longevity is an increasing function of population density in all West African countries. The effect of government spending and unemployment on health contradicts theory in some countries, while they were in tandem with theory in other countries. Therefore, the study recommended, among others, the introduction of dynamic agricultural policies to increase income and ensure food security in West Africa.