Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Poverty”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Elderly poverty alleviation through living with family.

"We estimate here the extent of United States elderly poverty alleviation through living with family. These estimates are motivated by public-policy concern about the well-being of the elderly, and by the relevance of the process for fertility under the old-age-security hypothesis. An inter-temporal poverty-measurement model is estimated with 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation income and wealth data. Without extended-family co-residence, and assuming no bequests, poverty rates would increase 42% over observed rates. Female elderly account for almost all the alleviated poverty. As a population, their impoverishment with age is effectively prevented by co-residence. Proportionately more black than white elderly are beneficiaries of poverty alleviation through living with family, but white elderly are more likely to be beneficiaries if at risk."

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Poverty-related stressors and HIV/AIDS transmission risks in two South African communities.

Community stress associated with poverty is related to health risks and poor health outcomes. Perceived community stress is specifically related to HIV transmission risk behaviors in the United States, but research has not examined these relationships in southern Africa, the region of the world with the highest rates of HIV infection and among the greatest poverty. Men (N=464) and women (N=531) living in impoverished adjacent communities distinguished by race (e.g., indigenous African and Coloured) completed anonymous surveys of perceptions of 10 poverty-related community stressors and measures of HIV risk-related behaviors. Indigenous African and Coloured communities differed in their perceptions of stressors, with Africans consistently viewing the 10 community stressors as more serious problems. In addition, perceived seriousness of lacking basic living resources was related to higher risk for HIV among Africans. Perceived community stress was also related to alcohol and drug use, but substance use did not mediate the association between perceived community stress and HIV risks. In the Coloured community, perceived community stressors were related to drug use, but perceived community stressors were not associated with HIV risks. These findings extend the findings of previous research to show that poverty-related stressors are associated with HIV transmission risks in some poverty-stricken communities and that these associations are not mediated by substance use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Mapping and measuring social disparities in premature mortality: the impact of census tract poverty within and across Boston neighborhoods, 1999-2001.

The identification and documentation of health disparities are important functions of public health surveillance. These disparities, typically falling along lines defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and social class, are often made visible in urban settings as geographic disparities in health between neighborhoods. Recognizing that premature mortality is a powerful indicator of disparities in both health status and access to health care that can readily be monitored using routinely available public health surveillance data, we undertook a systematic analysis of spatial variation in premature mortality in Boston (1999-2001) across neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods in relation to census tract (CT) poverty. Using a multilevel model based framework, we estimated that the incidence of premature mortality was 1.39 times higher (95% credible interval 1.09-1.78) among persons living in the most economically deprived CTs (>/=20% below poverty) compared to those in the least impoverished tracts (<5% below poverty). We present maps of model-based standardized mortality ratios that show substantial within-neighborhood variation in premature mortality and a sizeable decrease in spatial variation after adjustment for CT poverty. Additionally, we present maps of model-based direct standardized rates that can more readily be compared to externally published rates and targets, as well as maps of the population attributable fraction that show that in some of Boston's poorest neighborhoods, the proportion of excess deaths associated with CT poverty reaches 25-30%. We recommend that these methods be incorporated into routine analyses of public health surveillance data to highlight continuing social disparities in premature mortality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Does "the injury poverty trap" exist? A longitudinal study in Bavi, Vietnam.

In this study we concentrate on injuries and affected households' capacities to earn incomes. A longitudinal study was performed in Bavi district, Vietnam, with the specific objectives to investigate: (1) the affects of injuries on incomes by comparing income changes in injured and non-injured individuals; (2) the affect of injuries on social mobility by estimating households' relative risk of dropping into poverty for households with and without injuries and estimating the relative risk of escaping from poverty for households without and with injuries. The propensity score matching method using a logit model was used for data analysis. The results show that on average, the loss per household is estimated at VND 1,084,000 (USD 72) for poor and VND 2,598,000 (USD 173) for non-poor, equivalent to 11 (9) and 15 (13) working months of an average person in the poor and non-poor group, respectively, during 1999 (2001). The relative risk of dropping into poverty for non-poor households with and without injuries equal to 1.21 (p=0.08) and the relative risk of escaping from poverty between poor households without and with injuries equal to 0.96 (p=0.39). In conclusion, it has been argued that the introduction of user fees created a poverty trap and thus their removal may be a solution. However, user fees are only a part of the burden on households. Loss of income during the illness period is likely to be a problem of the same magnitude. A successful solution must thus follow two tracks: prepayment of health care and some insurance based compensation of income losses during the illness period. Both reforms, if they are persistent, must be done within the resource limits of the local society. If the risk of catastrophic illness is more evenly spread across the society, it would increase the general welfare even if no more resources are provided.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2006

HIV prevalence and poverty in Africa: micro- and macro-econometric evidences applied to Burkina Faso.

Based on the data of the Demographic and Health Survey, and of the Household Priority Survey, carried out in 2003, the present study, examining the factors of HIV prevalence in Burkina Faso, provides two conclusions. Firstly, the fight against poverty is not necessarily a means of reducing simultaneously and drastically HIV/AIDS prevalence, an assertion based on several elements of empirical analysis. First of all, the micro-econometric estimates of the probit models suggest a positive relationship between HIV prevalence in adult women and men, and living standards of individuals. Then, the macro-econometric approach reveals the existence of a positive (negative) relationship between, on the one hand, the level of regional HIV prevalence, and, on the other hand, the average monetary provincial standard of living (poverty) of households. At the same time, the relationship between HIV prevalence and poverty, apprehended at the regional level, is not linear. Secondly, and correlatively, the relationship between HIV prevalence and poverty is called into question. First of all, some structural factors may contribute to a distortion of the relationship between resources of households and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. This may be due, on the one hand, to the persistence of cognitive and behavioural factors inherent in a traditional society, and in particular, to the fact that the social construction of female attributes and roles confers to men a statute of "decision-makers" with regard to sexual intercourse, while the persistence of secular beliefs contributes to minimizing the perception of HIV/AIDS in terms of risk, independently of standards of living. In addition, the enclavement of Burkina Faso required development of road and railway traffic with neighbouring countries, in particular Côte d'Ivoire. Therefore, it may be that the structural conditions of the process of development of Burkina Faso, concomitant with significant flows of the exchange of goods, services and labour with a country where the prevalence of the HIV is particularly high, constitute an element of an explanation of the positive relationship between the resources of households and HIV seroprevalence. Also, factors related to the economic situation probably contributed to reinforcing the opposite relationship between HIV seroprevalence and poverty, the macro-econometric analysis highlighting a direct relationship between the massive return of migrants of Côte d'Ivoire and the level of HIV prevalence in Burkina Faso.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Associations of poverty, substance use, and HIV transmission risk behaviors in three South African communities.

The majority of the world's HIV infections occur in communities ravished by poverty. Although HIV/AIDS and poverty are inextricably linked, there are few studies of how poverty-related stressors contribute to HIV risk behavior practices. In this study, surveys were conducted in three South African communities that varied by race and socio-economic conditions: people living in an impoverished African township (N = 499); an economically impoverished but well infrastructured racially integrating township (N = 995); and urban non-impoverished neighborhoods (N = 678). Results showed that HIV/AIDS risks were closely related to experiences of poor education, unemployment, discrimination, violence, and crime. Although poverty-related stressors were associated with a history of alcohol and drug use, substance use did not moderate the association between poverty-related stressors and HIV risk behaviors. The findings suggest that HIV prevention strategies should not treat AIDS as a singled out social problem independent of other social ills.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Poverty and sociocultural factors in the use of maternal health services in Ivory Coast].

BACKGROUND: Better health for populations is linked to the adequate access to health services. This is particularly important in developing countries, where a number of economic, social, and geographic barriers exist. Pregnant women are particularly at risk, as they have many health needs and problems. In addition, the use of maternal health services is particularly influenced by economic and socio-cultural factors. Therefore, we intended to appreciate the association between poverty, socio-cultural factors and use of maternal health services in Ivory Coast. METHODS: For this study, our data were from the demographic and health survey in Ivory Coast in 1998. We used the logistic regression models to analyze the relation between poverty, socio-cultural factors and use of services (antenatal care, type of delivery). RESULTS: 62.4% of women used antenatal care adequately and 48.9% delivered in good conditions. Poverty is strongly linked to the use of services whatever the socio-cultural and demographic aspects are, with the poor using less services than the richer. Concerning the impact of socio-cultural characteristics, women living alone or with one adult (OR=1.60; 95% IC=1.06-2.42), those who are Christian (OR=1.83; 95% IC=1.25-2.67) or Akan are more likely to have adequate antenatal care than women living with 5 adults or more, having traditional or no religion, and those who are Senoufo or non Ivorian. Besides, when the number of children increases, they are less likely to consult. Primiparous, Christians (OR=2.45; 95% IC=1.68-3.59) or Muslims (OR=1.73; 95% IC=1.10-2.72) are more likely to deliver in a health center with a qualified assistance. CONCLUSION: Poverty has a negative effect on the use of maternal services but one should also take into account certain socio-cultural characteristics, namely number of adults in the household, parity, ethnicity and religion. While reducing poverty, it appears important to involve family members and religious or ethnic leaders in order to improve this use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Neighborhood poverty as a predictor of intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States: a multilevel analysis.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the contribution of neighborhood poverty, measured at the census tract level, to the risk of male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence (MFPV, FMPV) among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. METHODS: As part of the 1995 National Alcohol Survey, a representative sample of married/cohabiting couples was obtained through a multistage, multicluster household probability sampling frame. The outcome variables, MFPV and FMPV, were measured through the Conflict Tactics Scale, Form R. Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and alcohol consumption covariates that were statistically significant through bivariate analysis were retained as individual-level predictors. Neighborhood poverty, indicating residence in a census tract where greater than 20% of the population lived below the Federal poverty line, was assessed by appending 1990 Census data to the primary data set. Multilevel logistic regression models were constructed, with separate analyses performed for each outcome (MFPV, FMPV) among the white, black, and Hispanic couples. RESULTS: Couples residing in impoverished neighborhoods are at increased risk for both MFPV and FMPV. The association between residence in an impoverished neighborhood and MFPV was statistically significant for black couples (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.87; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.36, 6.07). The association between residence in an impoverished neighborhood and FMPV was statistically significant for black couples and white couples. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of the socioenvironment, such as neighborhood poverty, are associated with the risk of partner violence, particularly among black couples. Policies aimed at reducing community poverty may contribute to effective partner violence prevention strategies.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2003

Poverty and mental health: a qualitative study of residential care facility tenants.

The impact of poverty on daily living was assessed for twenty-two mental health consumers using qualitative in-depth interviews. Consumers reported considerable difficulty meeting basic needs, such as clothing, shoes and personal care items. A majority reported running out of money before the end of each month. Respondents used strategies including careful budgeting, borrowing and employment to cope with poverty. Analysis indicated that the poverty experienced by respondents worked directly against participation in meaningful activities and their ability to build and sustain social relationships. Moreover, poverty directly contributed to stigma experienced by respondents. Findings suggest that a failure to recognize poverty as a key mental health policy issue will continue to constrain efforts to facilitate consumer empowerment and social integration.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Placement into foster care and the interplay of urbanicity, child behavior problems, and poverty.

Child welfare involvement is related to involvement with poverty, but the dimensions of that relationship have not been fully explored. Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being were used to test the relationship between poverty indicators and placement into foster care. Poverty, ages of children, urban or nonurban settings, and the presence of mental health disorders interact to contribute to placement decisions. In urban areas, poverty is strongly associated with involvement with child welfare services, but children's mental health problems are not. In nonurban areas, children's mental health problems are a far greater contributor to child welfare involvement than poverty. Implications for understanding the dual functions of child welfare placements are provided. Child welfare services continue to address the needs of families with children with substantial behavioral problems--yet, federal child welfare policy includes no recognition of this important role.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Does obesity contribute as much to morbidity as poverty or smoking?

The prevalence of obesity is increasing in America, but its impact on morbidity relative to other health risks is unclear. This paper compares the effects of overweight, poverty, smoking and problem drinking on occurrence of chronic conditions and health-related quality of life. The data were collected from a nationally representative household telephone survey of 9585 adults fielded in 1998, using self-reported measures of height and weight, poverty, smoking status, problem drinking, chronic conditions and SF-12 global scales. Regression analyses were used to estimate effects of health risk factors on morbidity. Thirty-six percent of adults are overweight but not obese (25< or =BMI<30) and another 23% are obese (BMI> or =30). Controlling for demographics, obesity is associated with more chronic conditions and worse physical health-related quality of life (P<0.01). Smoking history and poverty predict having chronic conditions, but their effect sizes are significantly smaller. Even after controlling for chronic conditions, obesity predicts physical health-related quality of life, in that case with an effect size similar to poverty. The effect of problem drinking is always smaller. Obesity is highly prevalent and associated with at least as much morbidity as are poverty, smoking and problem drinking. Nevertheless, the latter have achieved more consistent attention in recent decades in clinical practice and public health policy.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed2003

Faces of poverty: sensitivity and specificity of economic classifications in rural Vietnam.

AIMS: Poverty concepts and measurements have occupied philosophers for centuries and are subject to debate by researchers. A wide range of possible measures have been developed and used. Most research is country specific and different methods produce different pictures of poverty. This study aimed to compare measures of poverty within an epidemiological field laboratory in Bavi District, northern Vietnam (FilaBavi) and specifically to find out whether the official economic classification made by the local authority matched other measurements of socioeconomic status. METHODS: Structured questionnaires were used to collect socioeconomic information in 11,547 households. In addition, the official classification for individual households was recorded. Five economic indicators were constructed: income, expenditure, household assets, housing conditions, and local authority's estimation. RESULTS: Official economic classification and housing score were symmetrically distributed, while assets score and particularly income were highly skewed. Design effects were high because of high intra-cluster correlations. No indicator was closely correlated with any other. Sensitivity and positive predictive value for poverty were generally low for all indicators. DISCUSSION: The authors' findings do not suggest that any of the indicators used is substantially better than the other or better than the Official Economic Classification made by local authority. The results also show that no indicator is particularly useful to predict the values of any other indicator and different poverty indicators may classify different socioeconomic groups as poor.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2005

Does poverty lead to non-fatal unintentional injuries in rural Vietnam?

The aim of this study was to identify associations between poverty at the household level and unintentional injury morbidity. A cohort consisting of 24,874 person-time episodes, representing 24,776 people living in 5,801 households (classified into rich, middle income and poor by local authorities in 1999) was followed during 2000, in order to identify and assess non-fatal unintentional injuries. Incidence rate ratios were calculated using a Poisson regression model. The results showed that poverty was a risk factor for unintentional injuries generally. When looking at different types of injury, poverty was a risk for home, work and "other" injuries, protective for school injuries, while the risk of traffic injuries was not affected. The results also showed that communes in mountainous areas were at higher risk for home, work and other injuries. Overall, poverty was associated with unintentional injury morbidity. However, the relationship varied by sex, age and type of injury. Specifically, poverty increased the risk for children and elderly people being injured at home, and for adults (15-59 years) being affected by work injuries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Influences in child growth associated with poverty in the 1970's: an examination of HANESI and HANESII, cross-sectional US national surveys.

This research examines associations between various measures of child growth (height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness, subscapular skinfold thickness), dietary variables, and poverty status in a sample of 13,750 black and white children aged 1 to 17 yr. The data used in this survey were collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I and II (HANESI, 1971-1975, and HANESII, 1976-1980). In general, lower mean values for all the growth measures examined were found in children living below the defined poverty threshold in comparison with those above the poverty threshold. The magnitude of these poverty-associated differences tended to decrease between the times of the HANESI and HANESII surveys, though not sufficiently to be statistically significant. These differences in growth were not consistently associated with differences in dietary intake of energy between poverty groups or surveys.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The GP's perception of poverty: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health differences between people from lower and higher social classes increase. The accessibility of the health care system is one of the multiple and complex causes. The Physician's perceptions, beliefs and attitudes towards the patient are in this context important determinants. OBJECTIVES: To explore the general practitioners' definition of poverty and their perception of the deprived patients' attitude towards health and health care, to get insight into the ways general practitioners deal with the problem of poverty and to present the proposals general practitioners make to improve health care for the deprived. METHOD: The study involved qualitative methodology using 21 semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded using Framework Analysis techniques. Interviews were undertaken with general practitioners in primary care, working in a deprived area in the city of Ghent. RESULTS: In the definition of poverty, three concepts can be identified: socioeconomic aspects, psychological and individual characteristics, and socio-cultural concepts. General practitioners adopt different types of approaches to deal with deprived patients in practice: adaptation of the doctor-patient communication, lowering of the financial threshold, referral to specialists and other health care professionals. CONCLUSION: Including the issue of poverty and poverty in the curriculum of the medical students and in the in-service training for practicing doctors could have a positive impact on their attitude towards this patient group. Further research is needed into the barriers in the accessibility of the health care system for the deprived, exploring qualitatively and quantitatively the experiences and the living conditions of deprived patients and the perceptions of health care providers.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1995

Movements out of poverty among elderly widows.

Elderly widows are disproportionately in poverty in the United States. However, past research has also shown that a significant number of poor elderly widows do move out of poverty. This work addresses two questions: What are the characteristics of elderly widows who exited from poverty, and what is the magnitude of the increase in income at the time of exit? An event history approach was taken using monthly data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Some of the findings are: living with family members is a strong predictor for the transition out of poverty among poor elderly women; those who are permanently impoverished tend to rely solely on food stamps and SSI; elderly widows from poverty with relatively large increases in income; those who exited due to an increase in pension income or gifts had increased their income significantly more than those who exited through other sources.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

The escape from poverty among rural and urban elders.

Do poor elders really leave poverty? We explore the prevalence and nature of exits from poverty among poor elders, with special attention to rural-urban differences in this regard. Analyzing twenty years of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we find that 40% of poor elders leave poverty after one year. However, descriptive data suggest many of these exits resulted from small increases in income that merely nudged elders over the poverty line. Nonmetropolitan elders are less likely to exit poverty than their metropolitan counterparts, and this disadvantage widened when statistical controls were applied in multivariate models.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Poverty functions and the aged population.

This article examines trends in poverty among the elderly in the United States from two perspectives. "First, we are interested in changes that took place in the magnitude, characteristics and incidence of poverty within this sector, as a result of the functioning of the economy as well as the poverty programme during the past decade. Our second primary objective is to present analytical models of the severity of poverty and use these models to describe techniques that might be employed in evaluating ways of alleviating poverty in one category of the aged poor where it seems most acute and most intractable, i.e. aged women living alone."

Adult↗