HOUSEHOLD RESOURCE ALLOCATION EFFICIENCY AND FAMILY WELL BEING OUTCOMES IN ESAN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE, NIGERIA: A HOME ECONOMICS ANALYSIS
Keywords:
Household Resource Allocation, Family Well-Being, Home Economics, Esan West, Nigeria, Resource EfficiencyAbstract
This study examined the efficiency of household resource allocation and its impact on family well-being in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Four research questions were raised for the study. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 400 households selected through stratified random sampling across urban, semi-urban, and rural communities. A structured questionnaire captured socio-demographics, household income and expenditure, time and labor allocation, and indicators of well-being, including child school attendance, nutritional adequacy, healthcare access, and subjective satisfaction. Resource allocation efficiency was measured using a Household Resource Allocation Efficiency Index (HRAEI), while family well-being was assessed with a Household Well-Being Index (HWI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression to explore the relationship between HRAEI and HWI and identify socio-demographic moderators.
The results indicate that most households operate at moderate efficiency, with higher HRAEI scores significantly associated with improved well-being outcomes (r = .68, p < .01). Regression analysis showed that a 10% increase in HRAEI corresponds to a 7% increase in HWI, with education and household size acting as significant moderators. Gender and age had limited influence, while cultural norms, especially women’s roles in household management, shaped allocation patterns. The study highlights the need for Home Economics interventions to improve budgeting, time, and labor management skills and for policy measures supporting resource-constrained households. By linking efficiency metrics with multidimensional well-being, this research provides a practical framework for evaluating household resource management and contributes to the empirical literature on rural Nigerian household economics.
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