Low-income Groups Research Articles

Gospel or curse: the impact of religious beliefs on energy poverty in rural China

Energy poverty, especially in rural areas, has become a central focus of scholarly and policy discussions. However, there is a significant gap in understanding the impact of religious beliefs on this phenomenon. This paper aims to fill this gap by utilizing household survey data from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) spanning three waves (2012, 2014, and 2016) to examine the causal link between religious beliefs and energy poverty, covering clean energy accessibility and affordability among rural residents. Our analysis unveils a substantial positive influence of religious beliefs on the likelihood of experiencing energy poverty, especially concerning accessibility and affordability. This effect is notably pronounced among males, ethnic minorities, and low-income groups. Low income and education are recognized as pivotal mediating factors through which religious beliefs contribute to energy poverty. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for formulating strategies to mitigate energy poverty in rural China, with a particular emphasis on the role of religious beliefs.

Impact of higher income on environmental interest

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between income levels and pro-environmental behavior using a utility customer survey. Amid urgent environmental challenges like pollution and climate change, it investigates how household income influences such behavior. Respondents were divided into high-income (90% or above) and lower income (below 90%) groups. While results were inconclusive, indicating no significant inclination toward pro-environmental behavior in higher-income groups, commonalities in perceived behaviors were observed. Notable differences included larger household sizes, greater satisfaction with natural gas utilities, and longer residency among higher-income respondents. However, factors like age, political preferences, and utility satisfaction showed no significant disparity. Although the high-income group was slightly more inclined toward energy-saving measures, both groups prioritized energy conservation similarly. Income-related discrepancies in self-awareness regarding home efficiency compared to neighbors were negligible. This study augments existing research but suggests the necessity for further research across different jurisdictions and timeframes to measure income’s impact.

Transformation of the Saudi Housing Sector through an Enabling Approach to Affordable Housing

Access to affordable housing has a significant impact on the quality of lives of households and the overall well-being of communities. The enabling approach is recognized internationally as a mechanism for housing delivery, shifting the government’s role from that of a direct provider to that of an enabler within housing markets. In line with its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to transition its role from a direct housing provider to an enabler. This study aimed to assess the extent to which enabling strategies have been implemented within the Saudi Arabian context. This research was conducted based on a desktop study of the key literature, analysis of secondary data, and content analysis of the collected documents to address the research aim. The study found that housing costs, traditional land tenure, and insufficient financing are major housing challenges, intensified by high lending interest, lack of investor diversity in housing types, and lack of long-term funding from financiers. Also, slum developments are limited to providing street access, without addressing the overall conditions and the level of services. In addition, the costs of obtaining permits and implementing building regulations have contributed to housing shortages in the country. On the other hand, real estate developers of different scales undergo a classification and qualification system to increase their capacity for housing supply. To address these challenges, the Saudi government has implemented an enabling approach, serving as a provider for low-income and vulnerable groups through the Developmental Housing Program. The government also encourages local manufacturing of building materials to boost the construction industry. The present study recommends that the government enhance existing instruments to enable access to affordable housing.

GST Rate Structure and Exemptions in India: Comments from a Global Perspective

Many countries, including India, apply a multi-rate VAT system and exemptions. The author in this article compares the rationale for a single VAT rate with the justifications generally given for applying multiple rates and exemptions. He focuses on India and evaluates the main justification for multiple rates and exemptions in its GST system, namely combating regressivity. It is argued that relief for the burden the GST particularly imposed on the lowest income groups can be provided more effectively than through reduced rates and exemption by incorporating into the GST system a rebate for GST paid up to the poverty level.

Analysis of medical impoverishment and its influencing factors among China's rural near-poor, 2016-2020.

This study investigates the determinants of medical impoverishment among China's rural near-poor, aiming to enhance public health services and establish preventative and monitoring systems. Using China Family Panel Studies and World Bank methods, we categorized rural populations and calculated their 2020 Poverty Incidence (PI) and Poverty Gap (PG), with impoverishing health expenditures (IHE) as the primary indicator. We analyzed the data from 2016 to 2020 using a conditional fixed-effects multinomial logit model and 2020 logistic regression to identify factors influencing medical impoverishment risk. (1) In 2020, the near-poor in China faced a PI of 16.65% post-health expenditures, 8.63 times greater than the non-poor's PI of 1.93%. The near-poor's Average Poverty Gap (APG) was CNY 1,920.67, notably surpassing the non-poor's figure of CNY 485.58. Health expenses disproportionately affected low-income groups, with the near-poor more prone to medical impoverishment. (2) Disparities in medical impoverishment between different economic household statuses were significant (P < 0.001), with the near-poor being particularly vulnerable. (3) For rural near-poor households in China, those with over six members faced a lower risk of medical impoverishment compared to those with three or fewer. Unmarried individuals had a 7.1% reduced risk of medical impoverishment relative to married/cohabiting counterparts. Unemployment was associated with a 9% increased risk. A better self-rated health status was linked to a lower probability of IHE, with the "very healthy" reporting a 25.8% lower risk than those "unhealthy." Chronic disease sufferers in the near-poor and non-poor categories were at an increased risk of 12 and 1.4%, respectively. Other surveyed factors, including migrant status, age, insurance type, gender, educational level, and recent smoking or drinking, were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Rural near-poor in China are much more susceptible to medical impoverishment, influenced by specific socio-economic factors. The findings advocate for policy enhancements and health system reforms to mitigate health poverty. Further research should extend to urban areas for comprehensive health poverty strategy development.

Exploring the Impact of Adjusting the Basic Pension on Lower-Income Groups in the German Pension System

Abstract This article explores the impact of adjustments to the basic pension (Grundrente) on lower income groups in the German pension system. This is done by hypothesizing that the basic pension reform is weakening status maintenance in the German welfare state for lower-income groups. We analyse monetary gains from the basic pension across different groups. We then adjust the eligibility criteria for the basic pension regarding the length of contribution periods and earning points threshold. From these findings, the paper develops a systematization for what needs to be considered in future pension reforms if the equivalence principle for lower-income groups is to be weakened.

Socio-economic and Demographic Factors Influencing the Nutritional Status of Lactating Mothers in Delhi, India

Nutrition deficiency is commonly observed in lactating mothers and is a rising trend in India due to improper dietary patterns, physiological factors, socio-economic and demographic factors. The aim was to study the nutritional status and its related factors among lactating mothers in the urban areas of Delhi region, India. A structured, pre-tested and validated questionnaire was used to capture the socio-demographic information, including economical and medical conditions, of 150 lactating women in Delhi, India. Pearson correlation coefficient and association of various factors were determined. 72.5 per cent of women were in the age bracket of 20–25 years and in low-income group (70 per cent). The prevalence of underweight was 21.33 per cent, and the mean and SD of body mass index (BMI) of mothers were 19.17 ± 2.1 and 20.70 ± 2.3 for sedentary and moderate workers, respectively. There were significant correlations found between BMI, energy, carbohydrates, fat and protein intake ( p &lt; .05). Multivariate regression model was used to associate the nutrition of participants’ income group, education, type of work, age of mothers and frequency of meals. Based on the results, intervention programmes for dietary correction and the effect of nutrition on the body have to be emphasised to lactating mothers for better health and nutritional outcomes.

The Impact of the Street-Stall Economy on the Quality of Employment in the Informal Economy

As a form of informal economy, the street-stall economy has a positive role in providing employment opportunities, but at the same time, there are problems such as low quality of employment and insufficient social security. Therefore, the question explored in this paper is whether the quality of informal economy employment generated by the ground stall economy is an effective job and whether it can be a way for low-income groups to earn a living. In this paper, the composition and proportion of the intangible costs of the stall economy and the average monthly income of the urban low-income group are analyzed to determine whether the informal jobs created by the stall economy can meet the basic needs of the urban low-income group. Taking the average per capital income of the low-income group as the standard, if the stall economy can steadily bring more than the standard net income to the low-income group, it means that the informal jobs created by the stall economy are effective jobs. The study shows that nearly 30% of the vendors in the statistics of the monthly net income of the street-stall economy are unable to reach the average income of the low-income group in the city, indicating that the informal economy jobs created by the street-stall economy are of low quality and are not enough to satisfy the basic living needs of the lowest-income group and that the proportion of effective jobs is low.

Income disparities in loss in life expectancy after colon and rectal cancers: a Swedish register-based study

BackgroundDifferences in the prognosis after colorectal cancer (CRC) by socioeconomic position (SEP) have been reported previously; however, most studies focused on survival differences at a particular time since diagnosis. We...

Correlation of Ultrasound Guided (USG) Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) With Postoperative Histopathology in the Diagnosis of Thyroid Swelling

Background: Thyroid swelling is a common problem in Bangladesh. Early and systematic evaluation of a nodular thyroid swelling is necessary as it is a frequent presentation of thyroid neoplasia. USG Guided Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is one of the diagnostic tools for early evaluation of thyroid nodules. USG Guided FNAC is considered as a cost-effective, simple, minimally invasive and easily repeatable procedure for preoperative screening in the diagnosis for most of the thyroid lesions. The objective of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of USG Guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and compare the efficacy with histopathology in diagnosis of thyroid swellings. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of USG Guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and histopathology for the diagnosis of thyroid swelling. Method: This Observational Prospective Study was performed in the department of Otolaryngology &amp; Head Neck Surgery, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Dhaka over 6 month’s duration from January 2019-June 2019. Total 50 patients with thyroid swelling was selected after taking informed written consent and fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Smears was taken by standard procedure and then was stained with papanicolaou stain and haematoxylin and eosine stain. The smears was classified into categories like benign, indeterminate, malignant and unsatisfactory. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy of USG Guided FNAC was calculated and compared to already available data. Appropriate statistical analysis was done to make comparison between final histopathological findings with initial USG Guided FNAC findings. Result: During the study period a total 73 were found eligible for USG Guided FNAC. Most of the patients (52%) were from 20-39 years age group. Among them 67.12% were female and rest (32.87%) were male. In this government hospital 75.34% were from low income group. ......

STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL VARIATIONS IN POPULATION GROUPS UNDERGOING ACUTE OR CHRONIC STRESS

Objective: Stress arises from derangements of personal and professional activities. The basic reason is changes in lifestyle and psychosocial adaptations. Life becomes demanding, complicated, mechanical, and devoid of health. In today’s modern world, occupational stress has become the major factor for loss of health and peacefulness of mind. Methods: This is an observational descriptive study which was conducted in a group of 84 people between 25 and 60 years of age to study the association of acute stress on salivary amylase level and effect of chronic stress on lipid profile, glycosylated hemoglobin and certain inflammatory markers in people representing different forms of stress. Three groups of the population were studied. Group 1 (n=20) - Patients undergoing any elective surgery (abdominal/genitourinary) or an invasive diagnostic procedure (upper GI endoscopy, lymph node biopsy) Group 2 (n=32) – High/middle socio-economic male or female working for ≥8 h/day with or without stress. Group 3 (n=32) – Low socioeconomic male or female earning &lt;100 Rs/day with or without stress. Salivary alpha-amylase and chromogranin A (CgA) levels are good markers of stress. Results: There was increased levels of cortisol (p&lt;0.0001), alpha amylase (p&lt;0.01), and decreased levels of CgA (p&lt;0.001) pre-procedure period as a marker of acute stress. In the chronic stress group of low income as well as high-income status, glycosylated hemoglobin, and blood lipid profile in both males and females were significantly deranged. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-2 were significantly raised in both groups. Serum ferritin level was low in the low socioeconomic group but normal in the high socioeconomic group. Conclusion: Salivary amylase level was raised in acute stress and there is a direct correlation of chronic stress with high low-density lipoprotein/ high-density lipoprotein ratio, raised glycosylated Hemoglobin, serum MDA, IL-1, 2 levels irrespective of economic group.

JUE insight: Differences in rent growth by income from 1985 to 2021 and implications for inflation

Shelter is a large share of household expenditures and therefore has a large weight in inflation measurement. Because rich and poor households tend to make different housing and location choices, does the shelter component of inflation differ across the income distribution? I calculate rent growth for households in each quintile of the income distribution from 1985 to 2021 and find modestly lower rent growth for lower-income groups. However, because lower-income households spend a larger fraction of total expenditures on housing, I find little difference across groups in headline inflation. Therefore, different housing and location choices have not generated materially different shelter components of inflation across the income distribution.

Understanding the Influence of Single Payer Health Insurance on Socioeconomic Disparities in Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) Utilization: A Transnational Analysis.

Access to care varies between countries. It is theorized that income-based disparities in access may be reduced in countries with universal health insurance relative to the United States, but data are currently limited. We hypothesized that income-based differences in total hip arthroplasty (THA) utilization and outcomes would be larger in the United States than in Canada. We retrospectively compared all patients undergoing THA from 2012 to 2018 in Pennsylvania, the United States, and Ontario, Canada. We compared age-standardized and sex-standardized per-capita THA utilization in the United States and Canada overall and across different income strata, where income strata were defined by neighborhood income quintile. We also examined income-based differences in rates of 1-year revision, 90-day mortality, and 90-day readmission. Overall THA utilization per 10,000 people per year was higher across all income groups in Pennsylvania compared with Ontario (15.1 versus 8.8, P < 0.001 in lowest-income quintile; 21.4 versus 12.6, P < 0.001 in highest-income quintile). Income-based differences in utilization in the highest-income vs lowest-income quintile groups were greater in Ontario (43.2%) than Pennsylvania (41.7%). The adjusted odds for the lowest-income group compared with the highest-income group of 1-year revision were greater in Ontario compared with Pennsylvania ( P = 0.03), and risk of 90-day mortality and 90-day readmission was similar between the regions. Income-based differences in THA utilization were more notable in Ontario than in Pennsylvania. In addition, patients in low-income communities in Ontario were at equal or greater risk relative to high-income community patients for adverse outcomes compared with patients in Pennsylvania. Income-based disparities in THA utilization and outcomes were smaller in the United States than in Canada, in contrast to what might be expected. III.

Relationship between socioeconomic status and hypertension incidence among adults in southwest China: a population-based cohort study

PurposeTo investigate the correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and the incidence of hypertension among adults aged 18 or above in southwest China.MethodsA multistage proportional stratified cluster sampling method was employed to recruited 9280 adult residents from 12 counties in southwest China, with all participants in the cohort tracked from 2016 to 2020. The questionnaire survey gathered information on demographics, lifestyle habits, and household income. The physical exam recorded height, weight, and blood pressure. Biochemical tests measured cholesterol levels. The chi-square test was employed to assess the statistical differences among categorical variables, while the Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to evaluate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the incidence of hypertension.ResultsThe finally effective sample size for the cohort study was 3546 participants, after excluding 5734 people who met the exclusion criteria. Adults in the highest household income group had a significantly lower risk of hypertension compared to those in the lowest income group (HR = 0.636, 95% CI: 0.478–0.845). Besides, when compared to individuals in the illiterate population, the risk of hypertension among adults with elementary school, junior high school, senior high school and associate degree educational level decreased respectively by 34.4% (HR = 0.656, 95%CI: 0.533–0.807), 44.9% (HR = 0.551, 95%CI: 0.436–0.697), 44.9% (HR = 0.551, 95%CI: 0.405–0.750), 46.1% (HR = 0.539, 95%CI: 0. 340–0.854). After conducting a thorough analysis of socioeconomic status, compared with individuals with a score of 6 or less, the risk of hypertension in participants with scores of 8, 10, 11, 12, and greater than 12 decreased respectively by 23.9% (HR = 0.761, 95%CI: 0.598–0.969), 29.7% (HR = 0.703, 95%CI: 0.538–0.919), 34.0% (HR = 0.660, 95%CI: 0.492–0.885), 34.3% (HR = 0.657, 95%CI: 0.447–0.967), 43.9% (HR = 0.561, 95%CI: 0.409–0.769).ConclusionThe findings indicate a negative correlation between socioeconomic status and hypertension incidence among adults in southwest China, suggesting that individuals with higher socioeconomic status are less likely to develop hypertension.

Delinquency in Croatia: Decoding the Socio-Economic Roots Through Court Chronicles

Abstract This study examines the socio-economic determinants of violence intensity in Croatia, utilizing individual case data from court documents (2017-2021). Through a probit model analysis of 560 cases, key variables such as income levels, age, gender, alcohol usage, and marital status of both perpetrators and victims were scrutinized. Our findings indicate a significant association between lower income and higher violence intensity for both victims and perpetrators. Notably, perpetrators aged 65+ exhibit less frequent but more intense violent behavior. This study highlights the crucial role of income in violent behavior, suggesting targeted policies for lower income groups to effectively combat violence.

Awareness of HPV vaccine and its socio-demographic determinants among the parents of eligible daughters in Bangladesh: A nationwide study

BackgroundVaccination against Human papillomavirus (HPV) is recommended to avoid HPV infections and its associated diseases, including cervical cancer. However, there is no awareness study among Bangladeshi population. Hence, this nationwide study was conducted to explore HPV vaccine awareness and its determinants among parents of eligible adolescent girls. MethodsThis study was conducted among the parents of daughters aged 9–15 years from 42 out of 64 randomly selected districts of Bangladesh between June 28 to August 2, 2023. A multistage sampling method was used to enroll 2151 study participants from all eight divisions of Bangladesh. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews in this study. The statistical software Stata (Version 17) was used for statistical analyses. ResultsThe average age of the participants was 38.18 (±5.86) years. Only 22.32 % of the participants were aware of the HPV vaccine. Every additional year of age increased the likelihood of being aware of the HPV vaccine by 3 % (AOR: 1.03; 95%CI: 1.00–1.06). Participants residing in the urban area had 3.56 times higher odds of awareness than rural and semi-urban people. Businessmen and housewives had 60 % (AOR: 0.40; 95 % CI: 0.22–0.69) and 77 % (AOR: 0.23; 95 % CI: 0.16–0.33) lower odds in comparison to job holders. The lower-income group exhibited significantly higher odds of awareness (AOR: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.16–0.39) compared to the middle and the higher-income group. Participants who never went through routine health check-ups had 77 % lower odds of being aware than those who availed of regular routine check-ups (AOR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.16–0.34). ConclusionAwareness of the HPV vaccine among the general population of Bangladesh is very low. Age, residence, occupation, monthly income, and routine medical check-ups were associated with HPV vaccine awareness. A nationwide awareness campaign would increase this awareness level among the Bangladeshi population, especially among the parents of daughters.

Flood‑Induced Health Vulnerability: A Case Study of Nirmal Char in Murshidabad District, West Bengal

The chars (riverine sand bars) are poorly connected to the mainland and are prone to natural hazards like floods. Char lands are occupied by people from lower-income groups who have been living in an ecologically fragile landscape. The frequent floods affect the char dwellers’ health and health infrastructures and limit access to health care services. A study has been conducted to assess the health vulnerability of char dwellers in Nirmal Char in the Murshidabad district. The current study explores the impact of floods on the health of char dwellers during pre-flood season which differs from or is similar to flood season. The health vulnerability of the char dwellers was measured in terms of flood exposure, flood sensitivity and flood adaptive capacity. The primary data collected from selected households reveals that the livelihood conditions of most of the char dwellers have been severely affected during the flood, introducing different health-related diseases (i.e. typhoid fever, malaria, diarrhea and dengue) catalysed due to the lack of accessibility to health care facilities. The present study showed that up to 97.87% of households had a high level of vulnerability and 2.13% had a moderate level of vulnerability. We concluded that early flood warning, flood prevention measures and long-term mitigation strategies must be strengthened for char dwellers as they face greater health problems. Therefore, a context-specific sustainable health policy intervention is required to improve the adaption capacity of char dwellers.

Factors affecting customers’ perception towards payment banks: An analytical study

Payments Banks (PBs) are new model of banks, conceptualised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to widen the spread of payment and financial services to small businessmen, low-income household groups, migrant and labourers in secured technology-driven environment. The article attempts to explore the factors affecting customers’ perceptions towards Payment Banks. Data has been collected through a questionnaire from 285 respondents who are customers of payment banks in Amritsar. Factor analysis is employed to analyse the responses given by the customers of payment banks. The findings of the study demonstrated that four factors affect customer perceptions towards payment banks namely, ‘User awareness’, ‘Accessibility and Ease of Use’, ‘Technological Support’ and ‘Complaint &amp; Customer Service Management’

Assessing the Landscape: A Survey of Microfinance Self-Help Groups and Their Impact on Financial Inclusion

Assessing the Landscape: A Survey of Microfinance Self-Help Groups and Their Impact on Financial Inclusion

Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Among Lower Income Group of People in Pakistan

Objective: To determine the Socio-economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic among lower income group of people in Lahore, Pakistan Material and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was used for conducting this research from April 2021 to September 2021 in Lahore and a self-structured questionnaire with multiple variables was filled by 274 participants. Non- Probability type of convenience sampling technique was used for data collection after informed consent. This paper was structured into two sections: The initial part addressed the socio-economic challenges experienced by impoverished individuals amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The subsequent section assessed the current state of Pakistan's healthcare system. Chi-square test was used for qualitative data analysis and p-value &lt;0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Most of the participants (65.7%) in this survey were males and had an income of up to Rs.20,000/ month (70.1%).Out of total, 254 (92.7%) respondents had profound impact of Covid-19 on their lives economically. Majority of them 152(55.5%) visited public places while 133(48.5%) avoided social gatherings like marriages, funerals, religious events etc. during pandemic. More than half of the participants agreed that hospital beds and oxygen were neither available nor it was affordable during their stay at hospital. A significant association was found between family income of respondents and financial crisis faced by respondents when sick with covid-19(p-value=0.05), monthly income suffered due to lockdown or decrease in economy (p-value=0.04) and loan was taken to fulfill their household needs during pandemic (p-value=0.00). Conclusion: The study showed that 254 (92.7%) respondents had profound impact of Covid-19 on their lives economically. A significant association was found between family income of respondents and financial crisis faced by respondents when sick with covid-19, monthly income suffered due to lockdown or decreases in economy and loan taken to fulfill their household needs during pandemic.