Obtaining a representative sample size remains critical to survey researchers because of its implication for cost, time and precision of the sample estimate. However, the difficulty of obtaining a good estimate of population variance coupled with insufficient skills in sampling theory impede the researchers’ ability to obtain an optimum sample in survey research. This paper proposes an adjustment to the margin of error in Yamane’s (1967) formula to make it applicable for use in determining optimum sample size for both continuous and categorical variables at all levels of confidence. A minimum sample size determination table is developed for use by researchers based on the adjusted formula developed in this paper.

This study investigated the impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak on prices of maize, sorghum, imported rice and local rice in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). We estimated dynamic panel data models with controls for macroeconomic setting using general method of moments estimation. The study found that the COVID‐19 outbreak led to increases in food prices of the sampled countries. Restrictions on movements or lockdowns in the wake of COVID‐19 was associated with an increase in the price of maize only. We also found that exchange rate, inflation and crude oil prices exerted a detrimental effect on food prices. We recommend that governments of SSA countries invest in infrastructure that improves efficiencies in the food supply chain during pandemics. Providing adequate support to industries in the value chain will also improve food availability and food price stability post‐COVID‐19.

The study aims to shed new lights on the lead-lag relationships between the financial sector (RFSI) and economic growth (GDP) in the midst of global economic policy uncertainty (GEPU) shocks for BRICS economies. Hence, the bivariate, partial, and wavelet multiple correlations techniques are employed. From the bivariate analysis, we document positive bi-directional causality between the RFSI and economic growth over the sample period. The partial wavelet reveals that GEPU shocks distort the significance and directional comovements between the RFSI and GDP. Moreover, the outcome from the wavelet multiple cross correlations (WMCC) indicates that the RFSI is a first mover at most time scales for the BRICS economies. This is followed by GEPU which either leads or lags for most scales, especially for South Africa. The impact of GEPU on RFSI and GDP is worst for South Africa in about four cases in the medium-, and long-terms. This signifies that South Africa’s financial markets and economic growth are vulnerable to GEPU. However, the impetus for GEPU to drive the comovements between the financial sector and economic activity was less pronounced in the pre-COVID analysis conducted with the WMCC. The study supports both the supply-leading and demand-following hypotheses. Our findings also underscore the need for policymakers, investors and academics alike to incessantly observe the dynamics between finance and growth across time and periodicity while considering adverse shocks from global economic policy uncertainty in tandem.

This study examines the associations between financial inclusion, health-seeking behavior, and health-related outcomes in older persons in Ghana. Employing data from a 2016/2017 Aging, Health, Psychological Well-Being and Health-Seeking Behavior Study (N = 1,200; mean age = 66.2 years [standard deviation = 11.9], we estimated regression models of self-rated health (SRH), psychological distress (PD), and health-care use (HCU) on a variable representing compositional characteristics of financial inclusion. Multivariate logistic and generalized Poisson models showed that financial inclusion is positively associated with SRH (β = .104, standard error [SE] = .033, p < .001) but inversely related to both PD (β = .038, SE = .032, p < .005) and HCU (β = −.006, SE = .009, p < .05) independent of other factors. However, after adjusting for socioeconomic and health-related factors, the associations were tempered and the effect of SRH decreased by 0.094 and PD increased by 0.065 points but HCU became statistically insignificant (β = −.020, SE = .0114, p > .05) Financial services inclusion profoundly appears to buffer against and retard health-related challenges in later life. Social and health policies targeted at improving the health outcomes of older people should include and build on the growing recognition of the importance of inclusive financial services and strategies.

This study explores how global economic policy uncertainty (EPU) shocks comove with stock returns (SR) of eight African countries—Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia. The study employed daily data from December 2010 to December 2019 using wavelet coherence analysis. The results showed that global EPU comoves with most of the SR of African markets and was concentrated in the longer term, especially during the period between 2011 and 2019, although not substantially. The findings indicate that short-term investments in African stocks are less susceptible to global economic policy uncertainty. It is recommended that foreign investors could hedge agaist policy uncertainties by investing in stock listed in African Stock exchanges while appropriate country-level policies are deployed to manage long-term effect of EPU.