State of the underprivileged population : a case study of Uganda

Abstract

This study investigates disparities in poverty levels, the distribution of widows, the prevalence of working children, and the demographics of the elderly population across different regions in Uganda. Employing a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach, the study relies on secondary data sourced from published reports by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Key findings indicate significant regional poverty-level variations between 2006 and 2017 (F = 18.616, p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the number of working children across regions (F = 0.818, p = 0.542) or in the gender distribution of elderly individuals across various sectors (mean difference = 13.2%, p = 0.3983). Significant disparities were observed between rural and urban areas in terms of access to basic amenities: blanket ownership (mean difference = 27.4%, p < 0.001), shoe ownership (mean difference = 31%, p < 0.001), and the frequency of consuming three meals per day (mean difference = 17.6%, p < 0.001). The study concludes with recommendations for targeted poverty alleviation interventions, particularly in the northern and eastern regions of Uganda.