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PubMed2006

A critique of Jeffrey D. Sachs's The end of poverty.

Jeffrey Sachs's The End of Poverty is a manifesto and how-to guide on ending extreme poverty around the world; it promotes the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Sachs achieved fame with his policy package for the "stabilization" of Bolivia (which did nothing to relieve Bolivia's poverty), and became advisor to the Yeltsin government in Russia and to Poland, Slovenia, and Estonia as they began their transitions to capitalism (the last three mixed successes; Russia a thorough disaster). Sachs later became more prominent as a critic of development orthodoxy, and was economic advisor to the Jubilee 2000 movement. The End of Poverty is full of sharp critiques of Western imperialism, but his views on the rest of the development business are more conventional.

Bolivia↗
PubMed1996

The class analysis of poverty: a response to Erik Olin Wright.

In Erik Olin Wright's recent essay "The Class Analysis of Poverty," his principal argument was about the centrality of class for understanding and analyzing poverty. While agreeing with this central argument, the author of this article takes issue with Wright's analysis of class relations and in particular the position of the so-called underclass. The author offers instead an analysis that identifies poverty as a peculiar feature of capitalism and its class relationships, pointing to the need for a broader understanding of poverty and of the political forces that need to be mobilized for its eradication.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Beliefs about the causes of poverty in parents and adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage in Hong Kong.

Over 2 consecutive years, parents and their adolescent children from 199 poor families in Hong Kong responded to the Chinese Perceived Causes of Poverty Scale, which assesses beliefs about the causes of poverty. The author abstracted 4 factors from the scale. Analyses showed that these factors (personal problems, exploitation, lack of opportunity, fate) were stable across time and across different samples. The author also found related subscales to be internally consistent. Regarding the effects of time, adolescents had weaker endorsement of the belief that poverty is caused by the personal problems of poor people over time. The author found parent-adolescent differences (parents vs. adolescents) and parental differences (fathers vs. mothers) regarding beliefs about the causes of poverty in terms of personal problems of poor people, exploitation, and fate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Poverty and ill health: physicians can, and should, make a difference.

A growing body of research confirms the existence of a powerful connection between socioeconomic status and health. This research has implications for both clinical practice and public policy and deserves to be more widely understood by physicians. Absolute poverty, which implies a lack of resources deemed necessary for survival, is self-evidently associated with poor health, particularly in less developed countries. Over the past two decades, economic decline or stagnation has reduced the incomes of 1.6 billion people. Strong evidence now indicates that relative poverty, which is defined in relation to the average resources available in a society, is also a major determinant of health in industrialized countries. For example, persons in U.S. states with income distributions that are more equitable have longer life expectancies than persons in less egalitarian states. There are numerous possible approaches to improving the health of poor populations. The most essential task is to ensure the satisfaction of basic human needs: shelter, clean air, safe drinking water, and adequate nutrition. Other approaches include reducing barriers to the adoption of healthier modes of living and improving access to appropriate and effective health and social services. Physicians as clinicians, educators, research scientists, and advocates for policy change can contribute to all of these approaches. Physicians and other health professionals should understand poverty and its effects on health and should endeavor to influence policymakers nationally and internationally to reduce the burden of ill health that is a consequence of poverty.

Health Policy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Public perceptions of the relationship between poverty and health.

The public's view on how poverty and health are related will influence support for different policies and programs. The purpose of this study was to examine public perceptions of the relationship between poverty and health and to identify demographic variables that predict support for the four explanations of the relationship between poverty and health (artifact, drift, behavioural, and structural) first identified in the Black Report in the United Kingdom. A telephone survey of a representative sample of Albertans (N = 1,216) was conducted. The majority of respondents believed that poverty leads to poor health. The explanation that health is influenced by the context in which individuals live (structural) received the most support. Demographic variables (sex, age, education, occupation, income, residence, conservatism) explained less than 10% of the variance for each of the four explanations, with conservatism the most consistent predictor.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2000

The association of poverty and low immunization rates in ZIP code areas. A retrospective survey of Minnesota kindergartners.

This study evaluated indicators of poverty in Minnesota ZIP code areas with low childhood immunization rates. During 1996-1997, a retrospective survey of 68,639 Minnesota kindergarten children was conducted; 68% received four doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine, three doses of polio vaccine, and one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (4:3:1) by 24 months of age. Of 447 ZIP codes further evaluated, 24 (5%; 13 urban and 11 rural) had 4:3:1 immunization rates at 24 months of < or = 50%. None of 159 ZIP codes in which < 5% of residents were below the poverty line had immunization rates < or = 50%, compared with 9 (32%) of 28 ZIP codes with > or = 15% of residents below the poverty line (p < 0.001). Immunization rates were lowest in ZIP codes with a lower median family income and greater proportion of residents below the poverty line. Surveys such as this can help immunization programs target and monitor prevention activities for these pockets of need.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Poverty among widows of Kinshasa, Congo.

The linkages between poverty and death in the family in a sector of the city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (previously Zaire) were studied. The poor people have been identified using 3 convergent norms, described in the Methods of Materials section, based on total expenditure, calorie consumption in food, and proportion of expenditure for food. Family histories were recorded to understand the difficult situation of widow-headed households identified within the sample area. The relationship between death in the family and poverty was bi-directional: on the one hand, death of the breadwinner can accelerate the level of poverty; and on the other, poverty conditions can result in further deaths in the family.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Influence of social inequality, social unrest and extreme poverty on tuberculosis morbidity in the City of Barcelona].

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to analyse inequalities between tuberculosis/intravenous drug user and tuberculosis/not intravenous drug user among the different neighbourhoods of Barcelona and the relationship to socioeconomic indicators and social/material deprivation indicators throughout the 1990-1995 period. METHODS: An ecological study which included all cases of tuberculosis among residents of Barcelona, the analysis unit being the neighbourhood. Intravenous drug users within the 15-49 age range and non-intravenous drug users over age 14 were included. The mean annual incidence rate standardized by age was used. The social indicators considered were the inner city areas, unemployment, less than primary education, overcrowding, social unrest and extreme poverty. In the bivariate analysis, the relationship between tuberculosis incidence and the social indicators was studied by means of the Spearman correlation coefficient, and the multivariate analysis by means of the Poisson regression. RESULTS: The incidence rates were higher in the inner city neighbourhoods, followed by the newer outlying working class neighbourhoods in both groups studied, and in other older outlying districts for the non-users of intravenous drugs. Among the intravenous drug user group, the variables related to a greater risk of tuberculosis were: man (RR = 7.42, confidence interval at 95% ICI95%-: 6.16-8.93), age (RR = 61.51, CI95%: 34.64-109.20), unemployment (RR = 1.68, CI95%: 1.51-1.88), social unrest (RR = 1.29, CI 95%: 1.04-1.58), overcrowding (RR = 1.36, CI 95%: 1.19-1.55) and inner city areas (RR = 1.92, CI 95% 1.48-2.50). Among the male non-users of intravenous drugs, no interaction between unemployment and age was found. Neighbourhoods with extreme poverty and inner city neighbourhoods showed a higher risk of tuberculosis (RR = 1.11, CI 95% 1.08-1.135 and RR = 1.80, CI95%: 1.51-2.14). Among the female non-users of intravenous drugs, a relationship was found in those of lesser age (RR = 1.29, CI 95%: 1.05-1.57), unemployment (RR = 1.18, CI 95%: 1.09-1.26), extreme poverty (RR = 1.95, CI 95%: 1.56-2.45) and inner city areas (RR = 1.72, CI 95%: 1.35-2.19). CONCLUSION: Inequalities in tuberculosis are related to different social indicators such as unemployment and inner city areas. A difference exists between the two groups studied. Tuberculosis is related with social unrest and overcrowding among intravenous drug users and with extreme poverty among non-users of intravenous drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Relationship between poverty and health among adolescents.

Although the effect of low socioeconomic status on the health of adolescents has been documented, the mechanism by which this occurs is not well understood. Furthermore, improving adolescent health through public health policy typically requires the presence of one or more modifiable risk factors which can be targeted for intervention. In spite of the well-documented negative associations between poverty and health, few modifiable risk factors have been identified. This study used the Evans-Stoddart Model of Health and Well-Being as a framework to examine data on 1,759 adolescents, aged 12 to 19, collected as part of the 1994 National Population Health Survey. Results not only confirm the relationship between income and health, but suggest how the pathway operates through the social environment, lifestyle differences, access to health care, and a reduced sense of self-esteem and self-mastery. Bivariate and multivariate analyses found positive associations between physical activity levels and self-esteem and mastery. We interpret these findings as preliminary evidence that it might be possible to buffer the impact of poverty on health through policies which increase physical activity levels among those living in poverty. Such policies could also include a secondary goal of increasing the activity levels among inactive adolescents who are not living in poverty, as they will derive benefits from this increase, both psychologically and physiologically.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Income inequality, poverty and socioeconomic development in Bangladesh: an empirical investigation.

By analyzing the data for 1963-1964 through 1976-1977, this paper studies the pattern of income distribution and poverty in Bangladesh, and it also compares the socioeconomic status of the country in the mid-1970s with other developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There has been a drastic increase in inequality and poverty in recent years, and this disturbing finding is reinforced by the fact that Bangladesh occupies the lowest position in the Third World in terms of a composite social index. The very poor within the poverty population suffered most, and the increase in the extent of poverty was most noticeable in the rural sector. The broad policy recommendation is that relatively more attention should be given to the social sectors white allocating resources for the country's future development.

Africa↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Household structure and poverty.

"This paper proposes a method for controlling for compositional factors in the measurement of poverty. The method is based on the notion of 'direct standardisation', used extensively in the field of demography.... With this class of standardised measures, it [is] possible to examine underlying differences in poverty while controlling for compositional factors known to be correlated with the incidence and intensity of poverty. The method is illustrated by examining the relationship between household structure and poverty in seven European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland and Great Britain. The data are centered around 1985 and form part of the Luxembourg Income Study." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND ITA)

Developed Countries↗
PubMed1994

[Poverty in Peru].

"Based on 1991 estimates, the author analyzes the evolution, distribution and characteristics of population in overall poverty conditions (54% of population) and those in extreme poverty (22%) [in Peru. She] finds that the greatest amount of critical poverty is located in rural highlands and at the urban coast (with the exception of Lima)....[She] emphasizes the need to improve nutrition levels and education, as main challenges to overcome poverty." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Americas↗
PubMed2003

Maternal mental health and parenting in poverty.

Maternal mental health is a key factor affecting the quality of parenting and, ultimately, a child's developmental outcomes. Thus, the persistence of mental health problems such as chronic depressive symptoms or addiction in low-income mother-child dyads may be the critical determinant of their collective future. This review examines the research conducted by nurses that focuses on maternal mental health, mothering, and child outcomes in the context of rearing children in poverty. Multiple methods were used for the search. Four programs showed evidence of sustained, related studies focused on the mental health of low-income mothers and their parenting. Two of these programs included intervention studies aimed at improving the mental health of mothers and developmental outcomes for their children. There were four newer programs of research in which the research teams had begun to focus on mothers rearing children in poverty and five other researchers who conducted single studies of maternal mental health. Additionally, two investigators focused on mothers who were prisoners, one team focused on homeless mothers, and another on mothers with HIV. Studies were critiqued using a developmental science framework. Studies varied widely in the degree to which they used developmentally based conceptual frameworks, designs, and measures. While nurse scientists have made progress in conducting research with mothers rearing children in poverty, there is an urgent need for more developmentally sensitive research aimed at strengthening maternal mental health and assisting mothers to be more effective parents in the midst of the challenges of poverty and welfare reform. By doing so, nursing interventions can improve the child's developmental outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Histories of poverty and self-rated health trajectories.

This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between poverty histories and self-rated health trajectories. We are interested in patterns of change in individuals' health over time and the ways in which such patterns are structured by continuity and change in poverty experiences. Data, collected for adults aged 25 and older in 1984 (N = 7,258), are from the 1968-1996 annual waves of Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Individual growth curves allow us to investigate health trajectories as continuous processes, as well as individual and group heterogeneity in these trajectories. We find that, on average, health deteriorates slowly over time, but there is significant variation in health in 1984 and the rate at which health declines. Histories of poverty partly accounted for the sources of individual differences in self-rated health in 1984, but they were not related to health change over time. Although increasing incomes were better for self-rated health than falling incomes, current economic circumstances did not erase the health effects of earlier poverty experiences.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Poverty and common mental disorders in developing countries.

A review of English-language journals published since 1990 and three global mental health reports identified 11 community studies on the association between poverty and common mental disorders in six low- and middle-income countries. Most studies showed an association between indicators of poverty and the risk of mental disorders, the most consistent association being with low levels of education. A review of articles exploring the mechanism of the relationship suggested weak evidence to support a specific association with income levels. Factors such as the experience of insecurity and hopelessness, rapid social change and the risks of violence and physical ill-health may explain the greater vulnerability of the poor to common mental disorders. The direct and indirect costs of mental ill-health worsen the economic condition, setting up a vicious cycle of poverty and mental disorder. Common mental disorders need to be placed alongside other diseases associated with poverty by policy-makers and donors. Programmes such as investment in education and provision of microcredit may have unanticipated benefits in reducing the risk of mental disorders. Secondary prevention must focus on strengthening the ability of primary care services to provide effective treatment.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2004

Poverty, education, race, and pregnancy outcome.

Few studies have considered the differing impact of socioeconomic factors on pregnancy outcomes among racial subgroups. We assessed pregnancy outcome by race, education, and income (poverty index), using data from the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study, a cohort study of preterm birth in central North Carolina, using binomial regression. Poverty was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth only among African Americans with 12 or more years of education (RR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.2). White participants with both a low level of education and an income below the poverty line were at increased risk of preterm birth (RR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.7). White women with 12 or more years of education had increased risk of small-for-gestational-age birth (SGA, defined as <10th percentile of birth weight for gestational age) associated with poverty status (RR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.7). Socioeconomic indicators appear to have complex joint effect patterns among racial subgroups, perhaps because the material and psychological implications of education and income status differ between groups.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Social politics against poverty and in favor of health in Mexico].

One of the biggest challenges that Mexico faces is to fight against the poverty. The transition of a characteristic welfare model from the government in a closed economy, to an open economy where the functions of the State are limited, has modified the modalities of the social politics against poverty. Six indispensable conditions are identified for poverty's reduction: 1. Economic development with stability in order to generate more and better jobs for poor people. 2. To improve regional economies. 3. To improve home conditions of poor people. 4. To elevate education levels (to encourage an authentic heath education). 5. To diminish catastrophic expenses for health problems. 6. Technical training for all workers. The impact of poverty over health can provide valuable elements to establish effective preventive strategies on health workers.

Health Policy↗
PubMed1991

The juvenilization of poverty in the 1980s.

This article analyzes the factors that caused the economic well-being of children in the United States to deteriorate during the 1980s. The poverty rate for children decreased through the late 1960s and the 1970s but rose during the 1980s. Young families and female-headed families were hit hardest by structural economic changes, contributing to the rise in child poverty. In addition, although more children became poor, social services provision did not increase and in many instances was cut back. The juvenilization of poverty requires social workers to place themselves in advocacy roles and to focus on poverty as a central practice concern.

Aid to Families with Dependent Children↗