Dimensions Of Poverty Research Articles

Long-term Neighborhood Poverty Effects on Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescents: Mediated Through Allostatic Load and Pubertal Timing

PurposeThe long-term effect of neighborhood poverty on internalizing symptoms in adolescents and the biological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. We defined neighborhood poverty at the village level in two dimensions: intensity (i.e., poverty rate) and duration. This study investigated how the poverty rate and duration of exposure to neighborhood poverty interact to predict internalizing symptoms in adolescents through biological mechanisms (i.e., allostatic load and early pubertal timing). MethodsA total of 418 adolescents (50.2% girls; 11–14 years old; mean age = 12.57 years) living in rural China participated in two waves of data collection. Path analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of allostatic load and pubertal timing in the relationship between the duration of exposure to neighborhood poverty and internalizing symptoms. Moreover, the interactive effect between the poverty rate and duration of neighborhood poverty on the allostatic load was tested. ResultsThe positive association between the duration of exposure to neighborhood poverty and internalizing symptoms of adolescents was explained by elevated allostatic load and early pubertal timing after adjusting for gender, age, prior family socioeconomic states and internalizing symptoms. The duration in neighborhood poverty was a stronger predictor of allostatic load for adolescents living in high poverty rate neighborhoods than for those living in low poverty rate neighborhoods. DiscussionNeighborhood poverty gets “under the skin” through biological pathways and affects internalizing symptoms among adolescents. The findings highlight the importance of considering different dimensions of neighborhood poverty (e.g., intensity and duration) on adolescents' health.

Addressing Water Poverty Under Climate Crisis: Implications for Social Policy

Access to safe, clean and affordable water is a basic human right and a global goal towards which climate change poses new challenges that heavily impact the health and wellbeing of people across the globe and exacerbate or create new inequalities. These challenges are shaped by a number of geographical and social conditions that, apart from the risks of weather-driven impacts on water, include water governance and management arrangements in place, including pricing tariffs, and the interplay of social and economic inequalities. Building on examples from Australia, Scotland and England and Wales that illustrate access to water in different types of water provision systems, and regarding to aspects of access, quality and affordability, this paper explores the types of challenges related to water poverty in the context of climate crisis and reflects on the multiple dimensions of water poverty oriented social policy at the interplay of climate change associated risks.

Transforming Poverty: Assessing the Significance of the Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance Model across Absolute, Moderate, and Relative Poverty Strata

Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine how the Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance Mode (AIMM) affects several types of poverty in Pakistan, including absolute, moderate, and relative poverty.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: In this study, primary data from Akhuwat Microfinance borrowers were collected using the stratified sample technique. The population was divided into four groups: manufacturing concerns, trading concerns, services concerns, and non-trading concerns. Additionally, a two-stage structural modelling technique was used for further data analysis. The measurement model was used to assess the reliability and validity, while the structural model was used to gauge the link between the underlying variables. 
 Findings: The study found positive and significant impact of Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance Mode (AIMM) on different dimensions of poverty, including absolute poverty, moderate poverty and relative poverty. Therefore, lending practices of Akhuwat enables the borrowers to reduce their absolute, moderate, and relative poverty. 
 Implications/Originality/Value: The role Akhuwat's unique approach to address different poverty levels including absolute poverty, moderate poverty and relative poverty is hardly investigate in the context of Pakistan by applying the Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory.

Understanding poverty dimensions and transitions in Malawi: A panel data approach

Poverty alleviation remains one of the ancient goals of Malawi as the country has since 1994 adopted a poverty alleviation strategy throughout its developmental programs. Through the support of the World Bank, a poverty monitoring system was put in place whose data are collected through the Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS). However, since the establishment of the LSMS, findings of different assessments and eras have revealed instabilities in the country’s poverty levels overtime. What remains unclear is whether households have been able to move out of poverty or not. The current study employed a two wave LSMS panel of 2016 and 2019 and assessed poverty dimensions including poverty incidence, depth and severity. The study further assessed the determinants of poverty transitions in order to understand movements in and out of poverty. Household size, gender of household head, education level of the household head, agricultural land holding sizes, access to credit, residence (urban or rural) and expected shocks significantly influenced the poverty dimensions and poverty transition. It is hence imperative that proper strategies that embrace robust and sustainable credit systems, improvement in literacy levels of the Malawian population, and further improving agricultural land productivity can help reduce poverty and further move households out of poverty. Such initiatives should take into consideration the gender divide and the rapid population growth faced by the country.

Applying ‘merging of knowledge’ in Tanzania: What can we learn about interrupting patterned relationships to reveal hidden dimensions of poverty?

Merging of Knowledge is a research approach that creates the conditions for people with lived experience of poverty to participate at an equal level with academics and practitioners, in the co-generation of knowledge about poverty. This paper reflects critically on the application of ‘Merging of Knowledge’ to study poverty in Tanzania, assessing its challenges, achievements, and lessons learned about revealing hidden knowledge about poverty. It also provides a brief literature review to place the Merging of Knowledge alongside other participatory approaches. This paper finds that Merging of Knowledge can effectively interrupt patterned social relationships, and empower individuals and peer groups, thereby stimulating transformation of both academics and people and poverty. It does so by addressing imbalances in social status, empowering all groups of participants at each stage of the research, and building trust, confidence, and freedom from fear in a sustainable manner. The conclusion drawn is that Merging of Knowledge holds great promise for future research on topics where strong hierarchies of knowledge exist, and where the physical inclusion of participants in data collection is not readily translated into intellectual inclusivity during analysis and the dissemination of findings.

A Nuanced Examination of Primate Capture and Consumption and Human Socio-Economic Well-Being in Kirindy Mitea National Park, Madagascar.

The futures of human and nonhuman primates are closely tied in protected areas. Understanding this interconnectedness is especially urgent in Madagascar, one of the world's most impoverished biodiversity hotspots. Yet, no study has evaluated the relationship between poverty and lemur hunting and consumption using a composite poverty metric that includes health, education, and living standards. To address this gap, and to inform primate conservation practice and policy, we administered annual surveys to 81 households over six consecutive months (September 2018 to March 2019) in a village on the border of Kirindy Mitea National Park, Madagascar. We observed extreme deprivation scores across multiple dimensions of poverty and identified ninety-five percent of households as 'impoverished'. Of these, three-quarters (77%) of households were identified as being in 'severe poverty'. One-fifth (19%) of all households hunted lemurs and half (49%) of households consumed lemurs. While poverty eradication is an urgent need in communities around Kirindy Mitea National Park, our findings show no relationship between poverty and lemur hunting and consumption, perhaps due to the lack of variance in poverty. Our results highlight the need to investigate other contributory factors to lemur hunting and consumption locally. Because food insecurity is a known driver of lemur hunting and consumption among the study community, and because domestic meats can be preferred over protected species, we recommend testing the efficacy of livestock interventions near Kirindy Mitea National Park.

Understanding the Dynamics of Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index: BIMARU States: An Econometrics Approach

The research study analyzes multidimensional poverty in seven states of India, namely Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The study focuses on three key dimensions of poverty: infant mortality rate, birth rate, and educational dropout rates at both primary and upper primary levels. Additionally, the study examines the availability of basic amenities such as clean cooking fuel, improved sanitation facilities, and safe drinking water. By calculating the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), the study ranks the states based on their performance in these dimensions. Madhya Pradesh emerges as the top-performing state with the lowest MPI score of 0.310745, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The study reveals that despite having relatively low MPI scores, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh still struggle with high infant mortality rates and birth rates. This indicates the need for targeted interventions to improve healthcare and family planning services in these states. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of education in poverty reduction. It identifies Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as states with the highest primary and upper primary education dropout rates. This emphasizes the need for improving the quality of education and implementing strategies to encourage school completion. It also states the importance of addressing issues related to healthcare, education, and basic amenities in order to reduce poverty and improve overall well-being. The normalized index approach used in this study provides a comprehensive and objective measure of poverty, enabling policymakers and stakeholders to make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively.

Multidimensional Poverty and its Effect on the Economy of Aceh Province

The first goal of Sustainable Development Goals, eliminating poverty in all forms, is closer to multidimensional poverty rather than official poverty statistics, which are measured using the basic need approach. Examining the trend of economic growth in Aceh during the past few years reveals the limitations of this strategy. Economic improvement has little effect on the poverty rate because it is only measured in one dimension. This research measures the poverty rate from various aspects by examining the forming factors first. The formed index will then be analyzed for its properness by involving other related variables and compared to the basic-need-based poverty measurement. Furthermore, every impact of each dimension on economic growth will also be assessed. Using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multidimensional poverty is measured to give another perspective on the poverty rate. Multiple linear regression is employed to identify the relationship between the poverty dimension and the economy. The result shows that the new poverty rate measurement gives more proper poverty distribution across the region in Aceh Province. Concerning the human development index, multidimensional poverty is more relevant than basic need poverty. Asset ownership and education are the dimensions that significantly affect the economy. Our study concludes that multidimensional poverty should complement the monetary poverty produced by national statistical agencies and provide a new direction of poverty alleviation policy, such as increasing physical investment in households or creating vocational programs to improve the quality of the population.

Every rose has its thorn: Do environmental regulations exacerbate regional energy poverty?

Environmental regulations play a critical role in shaping the energy welfare of residents, thus potentially impacting regional energy poverty. Nevertheless, limited quantitative research has investigated these effects from a regional perspective. This study constructs a comprehensive analytical framework to examine the impact of environmental regulations on regional energy poverty using Chinese provincial panel data from 2000 to 2018. It utilizes the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to investigate the direct effect and spatial spillover effect of environmental regulations on regional energy poverty and the interaction between environmental and pro-poor regulations. The main findings are as follows. Since 2000, China has significantly reduced energy poverty. Directly administered municipalities have shown the lowest energy poverty levels, whereas the western and northern regions have experienced limited energy poverty alleviation. Environmental regulations are positively correlated with regional energy poverty, whereas pro-poor regulations are negatively correlated. Moreover, the interaction effect and spatial spillover effect of the regulations are significant. The SDM regression indicates that environmental regulations may exacerbate regional energy poverty and counteract the benefits of pro-poor regulations. Stringent environmental regulations in one region intensify its energy poverty and aggravate that of its neighboring areas. Moreover, heterogeneity analysis shows that regulations primarily influence the accessibility dimension of energy poverty, with more pronounced effects in the first decade of the 21st century. This research highlights the challenges of balancing residents’ energy welfare and environmental protection, and offers valuable insights for researchers and policymakers in the governance of the environment and energy poverty.

Transport poverty indicators: A new framework based on the household budget survey

The energy transition represents an economic opportunity in many countries, but it can also disproportionately affect vulnerable households. Although increasing attention has been paid on energy poverty at homes, there is another dimension in which research has not yet placed enough emphasis: Transport poverty. This study proposes a framework for measuring transport poverty that uses information from the Household Budget Survey (HBS), a standardized database that is available every year in many countries. We develop and test 3 indicators that cover the affordability dimension of transport poverty (10%, 2 M, LHIC) and another one that also includes the accessibility dimension (VTU). Our research is supplemented by a statistical analysis that enables us to identify the drivers of transport poverty and by an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each metric. This framework offers a new common base for measuring transport poverty in different regions and enables transport poverty to be tracked over time.

Social dimension of food poverty of female-headed households after Covid-19 and economic crisis in Sri Lanka

The economic crisis in early 2022 in Sri Lanka has had a massive negative impact on the social and economic life of female-headed households in the country. In particular, food poverty affects many families. This study was conducted to investigate the food consumption patterns of female-headed households after the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Female headed households in five Divisional Secretariat Division of Ampara District were selected as the study sample based on purposive sampling techniques. Qualitative research methodology was used. In-depth interview and focused group discussion were used as primary data collection tools. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis method. The study found that after the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, there was a massive decline in food consumption, quality of food consumed and quantity of food consumed by female-headed households. Most female-headed households consume food only to satisfy hunger. Very small households have maintained the quality of food consumption, which has put them in debt. Traditional food consumption practices have changed and new food habits have emerged in certain families. The study suggests that the prevalence of food poverty among female-headed households should be addressed immediately and alternative programs should be designed to improve their condition.

Income, deprivation, and social exclusion: toward a comprehensive poverty measurement in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Multidimensional measurements have become the preferred means to determine levels of poverty in research and policy practice because unidimensional measurements cannot capture the full picture of poverty. This study combines income, deprivation, and social exclusion measures and proposes a comprehensive poverty measurement within the multidimensional framework. Using data from a representative survey in Hong Kong, we applied the comprehensive poverty measurement to an affluent Asian society. We used the Poisson-based framework to analyse the poverty threshold and the Alkire and Foster multidimensional poverty index (MPI). According to the comprehensive poverty measurement, Hong Kong’s poverty rate was 6.1%, and MPI was 0.047. Social exclusion contributed the most to poverty, and individuals who differed from the typical profile had distinct disadvantages in all three dimensions of comprehensive poverty. Multivariate regression analysis further revealed that individuals who were immigrants, aged 65 or over, had low levels of education and poor health, and received social assistance were more likely to be comprehensively poor. Through revealing the nuanced needs of the poor population, the comprehensive measurement sheds new light on multidimensional poverty and provides novel policy implications for poverty alleviation.

Insight into the Multidimensional Poverty of the Mountainous Ethnic Minorities in Central Vietnam

Eliminating extreme poverty and reducing poverty levels among marginalized groups are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite broad national-level studies on multidimensional poverty, there is a lack of specific research focusing on marginalized groups, particularly ethnic minorities. This study aims to identify the multidimensional poverty status and determinants of poverty among ethnic farmers in Thua Thien Hue province, Central Vietnam, based on a survey of 283 respondents. The Alkire–Foster method was utilized to measure multidimensional poverty, and a binary logistic regression model was applied to identify the determinants of multidimensional poverty among farmers. The results showed that about 33.57% of households are in multidimensional poverty. The deprivation in the six poverty dimensions was inconsistent, with income at 68.23%, education and health at 9.69%, housing at 7.19%, information access at 3.65%, and living conditions at 1.56%. Nine factors significantly affect the multidimensional poverty of ethnic minority households, including the age of household heads, family size, number of shocks, labor, farm size, tropical livestock units (TLUs), customers, traded input values, and training participation. Diversifying livelihood activities, building the infrastructure system to have closer access to central markets and main roads, and enhancing the capacity of farmers to cope with shocks are necessary solutions to reduce the multidimensional poverty of ethnic minorities in Central Vietnam.

Can digitalization alleviate multidimensional energy poverty in rural China? Designing a policy framework for achieving the sustainable development goals

The material foundation for societal advancement and human survival is energy. The advancement of digitalization has emerged as a brand-new force behind the advancement of society. Scholars from a variety of nations are starting to concentrate on the ways that the growth of digitalization affects social sustainability. However, the impact of digitization on multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) in rural China has not yet been proven. There is no micro-empirical evidence on how the introduction of digitization into MEP contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). In this study, we construct a multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) for rural households in China based on Alkire and Foster's theory, use mixed methods to explore the contribution of each energy poverty dimension to MEP, and empirically test the impact of digital development on the MEP of farm households. Our results show that cultural recreation in rural areas has the highest contribution to MEP. In addition, digital empowerment mitigates MEP, with the largest effect on cultural entertainment but not on household equipment poverty. Based on the empirical results of this paper, we have designed a policy framework for China and other developing countries with similar MEP problems to achieve some of the UN SDGs.

CAUSE OF OUR POVERTY: INTELLECTUAL FATIGUE OR RESOURCE CONSTRAINT

The dimensions of poverty are most egregious from a rural South African perspective. This study takes a deeper insight into the major causes of poverty 28 years after the expiry of the apartheid rule. It carefully examines if the cause of poverty may be largely attributed to intellectual fatigue or resource constraint, whilst shedding light on other instigators to poverty. To give precision to this paper, it is streamlined to three poverty stricken rural communities in South Africa. The nature of this study warrants the input of several stakeholders who are main drivers of poverty alleviation initiatives alongside their beneficiaries. Thus, the article adopted a Multiple Case study in order to obtain emic perspectives. Document analysis was also imperative as it served as a means of triangulation. Inferences from the study participants alongside views of commentators thus suggest that communities understudy are on an ineluctable path to failure, that which will continuously entrap these rural communities in poverty. Undoubtedly, the major cause of poverty in the communities of Gunjaneni, Lusikisiki Mcobothini and Mgobodzi is arguably not due to resource constraint, but partly due to the absence of intellectual acumen among key developmental stakeholders. The paper also argues that electoral victory attained through majoritarianism, and not that by the degree of competence or resourcefulness of candidate is often at the expense of the poor.

Inclusive Poverty Reduction for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

This study is premised upon the fact that any poverty reduction programme that is not inclusive can not fully deliver on sustainable development. Hence, the study focus is on how poverty alleviation policies can be inclusive so as to guarantee susatainable development in Nigeria. The study appraised some of the poverty reduction programmes in Nigeria so as to assess the extent to which they are inclusive when compared with global best practice using the Chinese multi-dimensional poverty reduction model. The study revealed that the Chinese model was designed to capture various dimensions of poverty with the intention of solving them based on their uniqueness and that some poverty levels are environmentally determined. The study further revealed that the poverty reduction approaches in Nigeria cannot be said to be inclusive and sustainable. level and to suggest possible solutions in order for poverty reduction policies to bring about desired inclusivity and sustainable development in Nigeria. The study recommended that Government policy on poverty alleviation should follow a multisectoral approach where all the stakeholders are given specific roles to play and that the Government should determine how the intended beneficiaries are to be identified to ensure that the benefits reach them directly.

Multidimensional poverty vis-à-vis climate change vulnerability: Empirical evidence from flood-prone rural communities of Charsadda and Nowshera districts in Pakistan

Pakistan is among the top five countries that have been severely impacted by extreme weather events. Its population, a majority of which is poor, is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. This study aims to examine the correlation between multidimensional poverty and climate change vulnerability in the rural areas of the Nowshera and Charsadda districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Data were collected from 452 households through a pre-tested questionnaire that assessed poverty and climate change vulnerability. The multidimensional poverty index, based on the United Nations Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, was used to determine poverty levels, while the livelihood and climate change vulnerability indices were developed to quantify the level of climate change vulnerability. The results of the study revealed that half of the population in the study area falls below the multidimensional poverty threshold. Nowshera had a higher number of multidimensionally poor people, and the intensity of poverty was greater than in Charsadda. Nowshera was found to be more deprived in all three dimensions of poverty, i.e., education, health, and standard of living. However, in terms of climate change vulnerability, Charsadda lagged behind in the dimensions of livelihood strategies, social networks, socio-demographic profiles, and food. On the other hand, Nowshera was found to be more vulnerable in the dimensions of natural assets, financial assets, and health. Overall, the results showed that Nowshera was more vulnerable to floods compared to Charsadda. The study found a strong positive correlation between the multidimensional poverty index and the climate change vulnerability indices, implying a close relationship between the two concepts.

Multidimensional poverty is associated with dementia among adults in Afghanistan

Multidimensional poverty is associated with dementia, but no evidence is available for countries in conflict. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two provinces of Afghanistan between February 15th 2022 and April 20th 2022 among adults age 50 and older. Multidimensional poverty included six dimensions of well-being and 16 indicators of deprivation. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale measured dementia. Poverty between adults with and without dementia was examined, adjusting for sex. Associations between dementia and poverty were investigated using multivariate regression model. Of the 478 adults included, 89 (52.7%) had mild, and 25 (14.8%) had moderate to severe dementia. More women than men had mild (52.7% vs 33.3%) and moderate-to-severe dementia (14.8% vs 5.8%). Approximately 33.9% adults with mild and 51.2% adults with moderate-to-severe dementia were found to be deprived in four or more dimensions compared to 21.8% without dementia. The difference in four dimensions of multidimensional poverty between adults with mild and moderate-to-severe dementia and adults without dementia was respectively 59.5% and 152.88%. Education, employment, health, and living conditions were the main contributors to the adjusted poverty head count ratio. Multidimensional poverty in four or five dimensions was strongly associated with dementia among older adults particularly over 70 years old (odds ratio [OR], 17.38; 95% CI, 2.22-135.63), with greater odds for older women overall (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.76-4.11). Our findings suggest that early improvement in social determinants of health through targeted structural policies may lower dementia risk later in life. Specifically, better access to free, quality education, healthcare, and basic living standard together with employment opportunities could reduce risk of dementia. The present study was funded by a grant from the Alzheimer Association (AARG-NTF-21-851241).

Does urbanization have spatial spillover effect on poverty reduction: empirical evidence from rural China

In light of a scarcity of research on the spatial effects of urbanization on poverty reduction, this study uses panel data on 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2019 to construct a system of indices to assess poverty that spans the four dimensions of the economy, education, health, and living. We use the spatial autocorrelation test and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to analyze the spatial effects of urbanization on poverty reduction in these different dimensions. The main conclusions are as follows: (a) China’s urbanization has the characteristics of spatial aggregation and a spatial spillover effect. (b) Different dimensions of poverty had the attributes of spatial agglomeration, and Moran’s index of a reduction in economic poverty was the highest. Under the SDM, the different dimensions of poverty also showed a significant positive spatial correlation. (c) Urbanization has a significant effect on poverty reduction along the dimensions of the economy, education, and living, but has little effect on reducing health poverty. It has a spatial spillover effect on poverty reduction in economic and living contexts. (d) There were spatial differences in the effect of urbanization on relieving economic and living-related poverty.

Tribal Transformation through Microfinance: An In-Depth Study of an Ngo-Microfinance Nexus in Kerala Special References in Wayanad District

Microfinance brings together communities of the unorganized poor, building their social capital and networks. In the recent years microfinance became an important intervention as a tool for rural development and poverty alleviation. In India, many a number of microfinance institutions including NGOs, NBFIs and Government agencies had intensively intervened. More than a decade of deepening engagement with microfinance programmes throughout the world has brought home the message that microfinance goes beyond finance and compels attention and action from a larger development perspective This enabling alternative paradigm seeks the engagement of microfinance programmes beyond credit schemes as a judicious blend of finance and development for addressing the many dimensions of poverty and community development. of poverty and social exclusion (Madhurai Symposium, 2009). This type of financial support helps expand their choices and mitigates potential risks look at some of those sincere efforts which brought out the incontrovertible benefits of micro finance in empowerment, poverty reduction and mainstreaming the poor is meaningful in the context of the present study. The study was carried out in Wayanad district of Kerala, which has the highest concentration of tribal folks in the State.