Concentrated Poverty Research Articles

Глобальная бедность и структурные сдвиги в экономике

Over the past 30 years, the world has achieved significant success in the fight against global poverty. However, progress in reducing its scale varies greatly in different parts of the world. Today, the epicenter of this calamity lies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The concentration of poverty in several places on the planet does not make the study of sources and dynamics of this phenomenon any less relevant. It is simultaneously both the root cause and the consequence of many current global challenges. The article focuses on analyzing the connection between the dynamics of poverty and structural shifts in the economies of developing countries. The authors note that for a long time, an important mechanism for reducing poverty in poor countries was the outflow of unskilled labor from the agricultural sector to the industrial one. As long as labor-intensive technologies were used in industry, it effectively absorbed the uneducated agricultural population, increasing their income and lifting them out of poverty. However, innovative labor-saving technologies and the digitization of economy have slowed down this process.Modern economy requires fewer workers while placing high demands on the quality of human capital. Poor African countries, caught up amid global technological shifts, have faced major challenges. One of the main ones includes the low level of education and vocational training, as well as the absence of not only computer literacy but also basic literacy. Under such conditions, innovation cannot organically develop, create high-tech jobs, and contribute to poverty reduction. Our contribution to academic literature lies in the demonstration, based on empirical materials, of various models of reducing global poverty in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We also draw attention to possible mechanisms of this reduction and their transformation against the backdrop of the implementation of modern advanced technologies.

Contrasting monetary and multidimensional poverty in India: a spatial perspective

The present study makes a comparative analysis on the spatial pattern of poverty by considering both monetary and multidimensional approach and assesses the variation or gap in poverty estimation. Two latest available datasets i.e. NSSO data of planning commission report regarding monetary or consumption poverty and the baseline report on multidimensional poverty by NITI Aayog have been used. Our analysis shows that significant interstate disparities are observed in the spatial concentration of poverty applying two different approaches. Extreme monetary poverty persist in states like Chhattisgarh (39.9 percent), Karnataka (37.0 percent), Meghalaya (36.9 percent) etc. whereas extreme multidimensional poverty exists in Bihar (51.9 percent) followed by Jharkhand (42.2 percent). The result reveals the fact that though monetary poverty and multidimensional poverty are associated with each other the strength of relationship between these two approaches is not strong enough. The study strongly recommends the incorporation of the multidimensional approach along with the consumption approach to measure poverty which has high policy relevance.

A Neighborhood-level analysis of mental health distress and income inequality as quasi-longitudinal risk of reported COVID-19 infection and mortality outcomes in Chicago.

Extant literature investigates the impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes, however there is a paucity of work examining mental health distress as a risk factor for COVID-19 outcomes. While systemic variables like income inequality relate to both mental health and COVID-19, more work is needed to test theoretically informed models including such variables. Using a social-ecological framework, we aimed to address these gaps in the literature by conducting a neighborhood-level analysis of potential mental health distress and systemic- (income inequality) level predictors of reported COVID-19 infection and mortality over time in Chicago. Neighborhood-level comparisons revealed differences in mental health distress, income inequality, and reported COVID-19 mortality, but not reported COVID-19 infection. Specifically, Westside and Southside neighborhoods generally reported higher levels of mental health distress and greater concentration of poverty. The Central neighborhood showed a decline in reported mortality rates over time. Multi-level negative binomial models established that Zip-codes with greater mental health distress were at increased reported COVID-19 infection risk, yet lower mortality risk; Zip-codes with more poverty were at increased reported COVID-19 infection risk, yet lower mortality risk; and Zip-codes with the highest percentage of People of Color were at decreased risk of reported COVID-19 mortality. Taken together, these findings substantiate Chicago neighborhood-level disparities in mental health distress, income inequality, and reported COVID-19 mortality; identify unique differential associations of mental health distress and income inequality to reported COVID-19 infection and reported mortality risk; and, offer an alternative lens towards understanding COVID-19 outcomes in terms of race/ethnicity.

Abstract A040: Examining the geographical distribution of a colorectal cancer awareness community outreach program

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant health issue in the United States, ranking as the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The incidence of CRC varies across the east coast of the United States due to multiple factors, including disparities in lifestyle, healthcare accessibility, and environmental exposures. Community-based participatory research plays a vital role in identifying effective interventions to enhance awareness of cancer risk and prevention in specific communities. Methods: This study focused on Asian Americans, Blacks, and Hispanics residing in the Greater Philadelphia (PA), New Jersey (NJ), and New York City (NYC) areas. The Synergistic Partnership for Enhancing Equity in Cancer Health (SPEECH) collaborated with community-based organizations' leaders and staff to streamline recruitment, workshop delivery, and survey data collection. The workshop curriculum covered essential CRC information, including facts, dietary habits, and screening guidelines. Pre- and post-workshop surveys were used to assess changes in CRC knowledge and screening intention. The distribution of participants was analyzed using Arc GIS. Results: [GXM1] The study population consisted of 212 Asian, 172 Hispanic/Latino, and 126 African American/Black participants. Geographical data was obtainable for 486 participants, primarily from New York (n=286, 58.8%), Pennsylvania (n=150, 30.9%), and New Jersey (n=49, 10.1%). These states form the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City (PNN) region, which is known for its high concentrations of neighborhoods experiencing persistent poverty, especially in areas densely populated by minorities. Distinct examples include neighborhoods within the Bronx borough of New York City and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania. Alarmingly, in some counties within the PNN region, as many as 26% of the census tracts are categorized as persistently impoverished. This pattern of concentrated poverty is supported by several existing studies and research reports. Conclusions: The distribution of participants aligned with the study area of SPEECH and areas characterized by persistent poverty. These findings provide valuable insights to guide efforts in improving cancer health equity in the identified regions. Citation Format: Thoin F. Begum, Ellen Kim, Lin Zhu, Yin Tan, Evelyn T. González, Marilyn A. Fraser, Yingzhang Lin, Nathaly Rubio-Torio, Tenya Blackwell, Carolyn Martin, Safa Ibrahim, Ming-Chin Yeh, Grace X. Ma. Examining the geographical distribution of a colorectal cancer awareness community outreach program [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A040.

Contributors to concentrated poverty of Blacks and Hispanics in metropolitan America, 1980–2020

ABSTRACT A longstanding debate asks why African Americans have been disproportionately concentrated in poor neighborhoods. All sides agree that a key contributor is the high level of poverty among Blacks, but they differ on other sources. Has the exodus of a growing Black middle class from the inner city (raising income segregation among Blacks) left the Black poor more isolated? Does persistent high racial segregation hold both middle class and poor Blacks in neighborhoods that are depressed by the high rate of Black poverty? Is poverty in Black neighborhoods mainly due to the presence of poor Black households or poor non-Black neighbors? This study addresses these questions with data for 1980–2020, and extends the analysis also to the case of Hispanic poverty exposure. Longitudinal models and detailed analysis of neighborhood composition by race and income show that the group’s own income composition is the most important predictor of poverty exposure. This effect is compounded by high racial segregation. Within-group income segregation adds to poverty concentration for Blacks but not for Hispanics. Blacks and Hispanics of all income levels live in poorer neighborhoods mainly because of the large share of their Black and Hispanic low-income neighbors, while their white neighbors tend to have higher incomes than they do.

The spillover effects of source of income anti-discrimination laws on public housing

This paper examines how source of income (SOI) anti-discrimination laws in the United States affect the sociodemographic composition of households living in public housing. SOI laws make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against the source of rent payment, including housing vouchers. Landlord discrimination is a major barrier to voucher utilization, disproportionately affecting extremely low-income families and racial minorities. Thus, SOI laws may affect the pool of applicants and recipients of public housing that operate within the same local housing authority service areas. I use housing authority-level data and a difference-in-differences approach to examine the changes in the composition of households living in public housing. SOI laws significantly reduce the shares of poor and extremely poor residents in public housing, along with a decline in new entries to public housing. Results suggest potentially positive spillover effects of SOI laws, alleviating ‘concentration of poverty’ in public housing as a consequence of a policy attempt to improve accessibilities to an alternative program.

Concentrated Economic Disadvantage Predicts Resource Utilization After Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundThe Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE), a measure of geographic socioeconomic polarization, predicts several health outcomes but has not been evaluated concerning total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study evaluates ICE as a predictor of post-TKA resource utilization. MethodsUsing the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s New York State database from 2016 to 2017, we retrospectively evaluated 57,426 patients ≥50 years undergoing primary TKA. The ICE values for extreme concentrations of income and race were calculated using United States Census Bureau data with the formula ICEi = (Pi−Di)/Ti where Pi, Di, and Ti are the number of households in the most privileged extreme, disadvantaged extreme, and total population in zip code i, respectively. Extremes of privilege and disadvantage were defined as ≥$150,000 versus <$25,000 for income and non-Hispanic White versus non-Hispanic Black for race. Association of ICE values, demographics, and comorbidities with 90-day readmission and 90-day emergency department (ED) visits was examined using multivariable analysis. ResultsOverall 90-day readmission and ED visit rates were 12.8% and 9.4%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, the lowest ICEIncome quintile (concentrated poverty) predicted 90-day readmission (odds ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 1.30, P = .005) and 90-day ED visit (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.38, P = .001). The ICERace was not predictive of either outcome. ConclusionPatients in communities with the lowest ICEIncome values use more inpatient and ED resources after primary TKA. Incorporating ICEIncome into risk-adjusted payment models may help align incentives for equitable care.

Spatial Poverty Concentration In East Java Province

This study focuses on the spatial concentration of poverty in East Java Province by looking at data on the number of poor people in each urban district in East Java province using the Moran Index Analysis. The results of the analysis and discussion through Moran's I conclude that there is a spatial autocorrelation in the percentage of the poor population in East Java, both in 2020 and 2021. Moran's I figures in 2020 and 2021 are 0.989 and 0.990 which indicates a positive autocorrelation or a pattern that is grouped and have similar characteristics at adjacent locations

How to recruit teachers for hard-to-staff schools: A systematic review of evidence from low- and middle-income countries

Education systems struggle to staff schools in rural areas or in areas with high concentrations of poverty. Potential policy solutions include financial incentives, mandatory rotations, and local recruitment drives, among others. First, this systematic review provides evidence on challenges with teacher staffing in certain types of schools. We observe lower teacher skill and higher teacher absence in rural areas in many countries. Second, the review synthesizes available experimental and quasi-experimental studies of government-implemented policies to increase the quantity or quality of teachers in hard-to-staff schools in low- or middle-income countries. Financial incentives—the most evaluated policies—are often effective at increasing the supply or reducing the turnover of teachers in hard-to-staff schools, and well-designed incentives can also increase the quality of teachers in these schools. Impacts on student outcomes are often positive. Although there are fewer evaluations, behavioral and informational interventions have been cost-effective in reducing vacancies in two countries.

The reproduction of informal settlements in Santiago: Housing policy, cycles of repopulation and the ‘politics of poverty’ as a regime of government

This article analyses the persistence of informal settlements in the city of Santiago, Chile, between 1990 and 2018, a period of democratic governments characterised by falling poverty rates and – paradoxically – state efforts to reduce informality by increasing the provision of housing for low-income groups. Based on a qualitative study that includes document analysis and interviews with poor urban residents and governmental actors, I describe one mechanism of informal housing reproduction: the cyclical repopulation of informal urbanisations, that is, the intertwined processes of relocation of informal residents and the reoccupation of settlement sites by new families. In contrast to dichotomous understandings of informality that explain informal housing as produced by residents’ poverty, the article shows that repopulation cycles respond to a regime of government structured around what I call a ‘politics of poverty’, a framework that labels informal settlements as ‘spatial concentrations of poverty’, therefore creating spatial zones of intervention. While this helps the state to target informal settlements as subjects of poverty policies, residents mobilise the policy’s categories to legitimate informal practices.

Evaluating the association between Home Owners’ Loan Corporation redlining and concentrated Black poverty

ABSTRACT Scholars have paid considerable attention to the neighborhood assessments made by the New Deal era Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC); much has been said of how poor assessments relate to long-term disadvantage for Black neighborhoods. But we know little specifically about associations between HOLC gradings and contemporary concentrated Black poverty when controlling for historic racial/ethnic composition and changing neighborhood characteristics. This study uses a sample of 4,851 census tracts from 90 cities across the United States from the Mapping Decline project to see how HOLC assessments relate to concentrated Black poverty. We also leverage historical Census data collected by IPUMS and the Longitudinal Tract Database. Findings indicate that even in places without Black populations or economic disadvantage at the time of assessment poor HOLC gradings are related to concentrated Black poverty in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Has the geography of deprivation changed in post-reform urban India? A Look into relative poverty and access to basic services

Abstract The literature on the concentration of urban poverty has considered two kinds of locations as the pockets of poverty: slums (vs. non-slums) and towns (vs. cities). Moving beyond these binaries in discussing spatial concentration of urban poverty, we have made an intersection of these two kinds of residential locations in the post-reform India using four rounds of data from the National Sample Survey. The proportion of relatively poor households was lower in city slum areas than in towns (both slum and non-slum households). Next, this paper tries to find out the level of basic services availability across these intersectional spatial categories and how public policies respond to existing poverty. Availability of basic services was higher in city slums than in town non-slum households. Across all these urban areas, the poor had a lower access to services than the non-poor, and the gap between them had increased over time. These findings also pose serious concerns on the geographical targeting of poverty alleviation programmes in India and on iniquitous resources allocations for providing basic amenities

Living in High-Poverty Areas Significantly Reduces Survival in Patients With Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Studies have demonstrated that low socioeconomic status, insurance, and race impact clinical outcomes in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to assess if living in high-poverty areas, insurance, and race impact clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). We conducted a retrospective review of patients with TAAAs confirmed by computed tomography imaging between 2009 and 2019 at a single institution. Patients’ zip codes were mapped to American Community Survey Data to obtain geographic poverty rates. We used the standard US Census definition of high poverty concentration, as >20% of the population was living at 100% of the poverty rate. Our primary outcome was overall survival, stratified by whether or not the patient underwent repair. We also assessed if poverty concentration and distance influenced repair rates. Of 578 patients, 575 had zip code data and were analyzed. In both the nonoperative (N = 258) and repair (N = 311) groups, there were no significant differences in age, race, or comorbidities between patients living in high-poverty areas (N = 95, 16.4%) vs not. In the nonoperative group, patients from high-poverty areas were more likely to have aneurysm due to dissection (37.5 vs 17.6%, P = .03). In multivariate analyses, patients from high-poverty zip codes had significantly worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-3.3; P = .03). In the repair group, high poverty was also a significant predictor of reduced postoperative survival (HR: 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 1-2.63; P = .04) (Fig 1). Private insurance was predictive of improved postoperative survival (HR: 0.42, 95% confidence interval: 0.18-0.95; P = .04). These results were found after adjusting for age, race, sex, maximum aortic diameter, coronary artery disease, distance from the hospital, insurance status, and active smoking. There were insufficient data to determine if race impacted survival discretely from poverty status. Interestingly, traveling greater than 100 miles improved long-term survival (HR: 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.92, P = .02) (Table). In multivariate regression, patients living over 100 miles from the hospital were significantly more likely to undergo repair (odds ratio: 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-2.33; P = .02). There was no significant difference in surgery utilization based on poverty adjusting for the same factors. This study demonstrates socioeconomic disparities in TAAA survival. Patients with TAAA living in high-poverty areas had significantly more dissections and suffered a nearly doubled risk of mortality compared with patients living outside such areas. This study highlights the pressing need for further research into TAAA disparities.TableVariables predictive of survival for patients with TAAAHazard ratio95% confidence intervalP valueNonoperative group (overall survival) High poverty1.901.103.27.021 Distance to hospital over 100 miles0.560.370.83.004 InsuranceMedicareReferent11Medicaid1.290.562.97.54Private2.051.014.14.044Operative repair group (postoperative survival to 5 years) High poverty1.651.02.63.036 Distance to hospital over 100 miles0.610.410.92.017 InsuranceMedicareReferent11Medicaid0.740.321.68.47Private0.420.180.95.037TAAA, Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.Elevated hazard ratio indicates increased risk of mortality. Open table in a new tab

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth delinquency: A discontinuous growth analysis

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate (a) the immediate and long-term changes in youth offending rates among 138 neighborhoods within a large metropolitan area in the context of COVID-19 and (b) the extent to which the socioeconomic composition of the neighborhoods accounted for variations of the changes.MethodsDiscontinuous growth models were applied to demonstrate the changes in offenses against a person, property offenses, and drug-related offenses one-year prior to, at (March 2020), and one-year following the pandemic.ResultsAt the onset of the pandemic, we registered an immediate reduction in offenses against a person and property offenses but not in drug-related offenses. There was a steeper declining trend for property offenses one-year following the pandemic as compared with that one-year prior to the pandemic. The neighborhood concentration of affluence and poverty was not related to the immediate reduction in any type of delinquency.DiscussionWe conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic not only had an abrupt but also an enduring impact on youth delinquency.

The Urban Environment and Disparities in Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes in the Global South: a Scoping Review.

By 2050, the Global South will contain three-quarters of the world's urban inhabitants, yet no standardized categorizations of urban areas exist. This makes it challenging to compare sub-groups within cities. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are a critical component of ensuring that populations are healthy and productive, yet SRHR outcomes within and across urban settings vary significantly. A scoping review of the literature (2010-2022) was conducted to describe the current body of evidence on SRHR in urban settings in the Global South, understand disparities, and highlight promising approaches to improving urban SRHR outcomes. A total of 115 studies were identified, most from Kenya (30 articles; 26%), Nigeria (15; 13%), and India (16; 14%), focusing on family planning (56; 49%) and HIV/STIs (43; 37%). Findings suggest significant variation in access to services, and challenges such as gender inequality, safety, and precarious circumstances in employment and housing. Many of the studies (n = 84; 80%) focus on individual-level risks and do not consider how neighborhood environments, concentrated poverty, and social exclusion shape behaviors and norms related to SRHR. Research gaps in uniformly categorizing urban areas and key aspects of the urban environment make it challenging to understand the heterogeneity of urban environments, populations, and SRHR outcomes and compare across studies. Findings from this review may inform the development of holistic programs and policies targeting structural barriers to SRHR in urban environments to ensure services are inclusive, equitably available and accessible, and direct future research to fill identified gaps.

Neighbourhood effects on educational attainment. What matters more: Exposure to poverty or exposure to affluence?

Neighbourhood effects studies typically investigate the negative effects on individual outcomes of living in areas with concentrated poverty. The literature rarely pays attention to the potential beneficial effects of living in areas with concentrated affluence. This poverty paradigm might hinder our understanding of spatial context effects. Our paper uses individual geocoded data from the Netherlands to compare the effects of exposure to neighbourhood affluence and poverty on educational attainment within the same statistical models. Using bespoke neighbourhoods, we create individual neighbourhood histories which allow us to distinguish exposure effects from early childhood and adolescence. We follow an entire cohort born in 1995 and we measure their educational level in 2018. The results show that, in the Netherlands, neighbourhood affluence has a stronger effect on educational attainment than neighbourhood poverty for all the time periods studied. Additionally, interactions with parental education indicate that children with higher educated parents are not affected by neighbourhood poverty. These results highlight the need for more studies on the effects of concentrated affluence and can inspire anti-segregation policies.

The moderating role of housing quality on concentrated poverty and asthma-related emergency department visits among Hispanics/Latinos

Background Rates of asthma-related emergency department visits have been shown to vary significantly by place (i.e. neighborhood) and race/ethnicity. The moderating factors of asthmatic events among Hispanic/Latino-specific populations are known to a much lesser degree. Objective To assess the extent to which housing moderates the effect of poverty on Hispanic/Latino-specific asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits at an ecological level. Methods Using data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) and the 2016–2017 U.S. Census, a cross-sectional ecological analysis at the census tract-level was conducted. Crosswalk files from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were used to associate zip codes to census tracts. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate rate ratios. Results The effect of poverty on asthma-related ED visits was significantly moderated by the median year of housing structures built. The effect of mid-level poverty (RR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.27, 1.95) and high-level poverty (RR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.22, 1.78) in comparison to low-level poverty, was significantly greater among census tracts with housing built prior to 1965 in comparison to census tract with housing built between 1965 and 2020. Conclusion Communities with older housing structures tend to be associated with increased Hispanic/Latino ED visits apart from affluent communities.

Review of “Stacked Decks: Building Inspectors and the Reproduction of Urban Inequality”

SStacked Decks provides a fresh look at the work of building inspectors. Chicago, where Bartram’s research takes place, is one of the most racially segregated cities in America, with deep pockets of concentrated poverty. Not surprisingly, building conditions vary significantly among neighborhoods, and 3-1-1 nonemergency calls for service about building conditions often originate from poor, disinvested neighborhoods—areas where substandard housing is most concentrated. Yet inspectors cite fewer building code violations in poor neighborhoods than one would expect based on these calls, and far more in wealthy neighborhoods. The book starts by asking: What explains the divergence between calls and violations? Bartram argues that inspectors have wide discretion over which code violations are (and are not) issued citations. They neither assess all buildings the same way nor do they record or follow-up on all violations they see. Stacked Decks is a much-needed examination of how inspectors make sense of complex situations, and how their sense of deservingness influences their judgment.

The equity dilemma

School leaders juggle the often-inconsistent goals of maintaining support of middle- and upper-income families for public education and, at the same time, implementing policies to strengthen equity for low-income students. Author Iris C. Rotberg describes how these tradeoffs play out in different communities, the role of concentrated poverty and segregation, and potential options for making equity gains while maintaining widespread support for public education.

Educational Inequality and the Poverty Trap in Teacher Recruitment

The regional concentration of poverty and the resulting disparities in living conditions create conditions where educational inequalities are intensified. These adverse conditions could lead teachers to refuse to work in disadvantaged locations that are characterised by high incidences of poverty and low-performing students. In this paper, we estimate how poverty in the districts where the schools are situated influences the probability that teachers accept a job offer in Costa Rica. Working with data on contract offers acceptance or rejection is a methodological novelty that makes it possible to dissociate students’ poverty from the poverty of the schools’ location. The estimation of a three‐level hierarchical model allows us to deal with aggregation bias and unobserved heterogeneity. The results show evidence that district poverty is a key determinant of teachers’ rejection of offers. Although the study uses data from Costa Rica, the results indicate more generally, how educational inequity can perpetuate poverty.