Social Capital and Willingness to Pay for Community-based Health Insurance in Rural Communities of Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Background: The amount of social capital in a community can be an asset for the breakthrough and sustainability of community-based health insurance (CBHI), thereby contributing to the demand for it at the community level. Aims: This study aimed to assess the relationship between social capital and willingness to pay (WTP) for CBHI in rural communities of Delta State. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the level of social capital and WTP for CBHI among a sample of 412 households using a multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the data collected were carried out using the IBM SPSS version 22 software. Results: the mean age of respondents was 50.42 ± 14.54 years. Females were about half (50.5%) of the respondents, and 19.9% of respondents had no formal education. The mean individual WTP amount per month was 600.75 ± 419.48 naira (1.30 ± 0.91 US dollar). The association between social capital (χ 2 = 193.043; P < 0.001) and WTP for CBHI was statistically significant. Other factors such as sex (χ 2 = 10.168; P = 0.001), education (χ 2 = 14.06; P < 0.001), religion (χ 2 = 40.565; P < 0.001) and household with younger people <18 years (χ 2 = 14.361; P < 0.001) were also significantly associated with WTP for CBHI. Conclusion: This study reported a significant association between social capital and WTP for CBHI.