Background Of Poverty Research Articles

Management short-sighted behavior and enterprise ESG performance — Evidence from listed companies in China

High-order theory indicates that management characteristics determine strategic decision-making and enterprise performance. As developers of strategic directions of enterprises, managers are essential senior human capital. They are vital in strategic planning and adjustment based on external environmental changes impacting enterprise production and operation. China's current managerial context suggests a lack of long-term vision. Guided by sustainable development, long-term visioning is paramount for enterprises to resist external environmental threats and maintain sustainability. Thus, this study uses sample data of A-share non-financial listed companies from 2009 to 2020 to examine whether management's short-sighted behavior impacts enterprises’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and its impact mechanism using a measurement index of management's short-sighted behavior that includes “qualitative + quantitative” methods. The heterogeneity of this impact based on managers with different backgrounds and senior management team structure is discussed. Our research indicates that management's myopic behavior can significantly inhibit ESG performance. This conclusion is still robust after considering endogeneity and multiple robustness tests. The inhibitory effect is markedly evident in enterprises with no background of poverty and with no overseas experiences; at the same time, this negative effect is more obvious in the executive team with low gender heterogeneity and no professional background in management. Mechanism analysis indicates that management's shortsighted behavior inhibits enterprises’ ESG performance by reducing capital expenditure and green innovation performance. This study provides empirical support and theoretical evidence for enterprises to improve their ESG performance while offering insights for enterprises in developing countries to implement ESG practices.

Dysfunctional family as a determinant of mercenary and forcible crimes of minors and young people

The article is devoted to the problems of criminological determination of mercenary and forcible crimes of minors and youth. The author defines dysfunctional family as one of the main determinants of mercenary and forcible crimes among minors and youth.
 The article characterizes the influence of adversity in the family, defects of family upbringing on the formation of a young personality.
 The author analyzes modern criminological concepts regarding family problems as determinants of juvenile and youth crime and notes that the aggravation of problems of family dysfunction against the general background of poverty and constant need, moral and social degradation that occurs in families, lead to extremely negative consequences.
 It is a well-known fact that the intensity of crime is particularly high among minors and young people from disadvantaged families. Basically, drunkenness, drug addiction, and prostitution thrive in these families, there are no moral foundations, elementary culture. All this affects the formation of the character of the individual, because the influence of the family, upbringing is of decisive importance.
 Negative socio-economic and political processes significantly weakened the importance of the family institution as a social institution that protected children and youth. The majority of juvenile criminals were brought up in dysfunctional, single-parent families with a critical financial situation, and were witnesses of scandals and fights.
 Parents who lead an immoral lifestyle, are indifferent to the interests of the child, are unable to provide the proper conditions for the normal psychophysical development of the child, and the deterioration of the financial situation of families leads to the inaccessibility due to the increase in the prices of using the benefits of civilization and, combined with discomfort in the family, provokes minors spending more and more time outside.
 The article provides a criminological description of the modern aspects of family dysfunction, which are associated with military actions and the temporary occupation of large territories, and also complements the classification of dysfunctional families, which is developed today by criminological science.

Dysfunctional family as a determinant of mercenary and forcible crimes of minors and young people

The article is devoted to the problems of criminological determination of mercenary and forcible crimes of minors and youth. The author defines dysfunctional family as one of the main determinants of mercenary and forcible crimes among minors and youth.
 The article characterizes the influence of adversity in the family, defects of family upbringing on the formation of a young personality.
 The author analyzes modern criminological concepts regarding family problems as determinants of juvenile and youth crime and notes that the aggravation of problems of family dysfunction against the general background of poverty and constant need, moral and social degradation that occurs in families, lead to extremely negative consequences.
 It is a well-known fact that the intensity of crime is particularly high among minors and young people from disadvantaged families. Basically, drunkenness, drug addiction, and prostitution thrive in these families, there are no moral foundations, elementary culture. All this affects the formation of the character of the individual, because the influence of the family, upbringing is of decisive importance.
 Negative socio-economic and political processes significantly weakened the importance of the family institution as a social institution that protected children and youth. The majority of juvenile criminals were brought up in dysfunctional, single­parent families with a critical financial situation, and were witnesses of scandals and fights.
 Parents who lead an immoral lifestyle, are indifferent to the interests of the child, are unable to provide the proper conditions for the normal psychophysical development of the child, and the deterioration of the financial situation of families leads to the inaccessibility due to the increase in the prices of using the benefits of civilization and, combined with discomfort in the family, provokes minors spending more and more time outside.
 The article provides a criminological description of the modern aspects of family dysfunction, which are associated with military actions and the temporary occupation of large territories, and also complements the classification of dysfunctional families, which is developed today by criminological science.

Peran Orang Tua Asuh Mewujudkan Resiliensi Remaja Berprestasi Berlatar Belakang Kemiskinan di Panti Asuhan Putera Muhammadiyah Medan


 Resilience is the ability of individuals who have successfully faced adversity and been able to rise from adversity. This study aims to analyze how the role of foster parents in realizing the resilience of high achieving youth with a poverty background. The method used in this research is descriptive method or called qualitative. Data collection is done through observation and interviews. The results of this study are the role of foster parents in realizing the resilience of outstanding youth with a poverty background by providing good and proper educational facilities, providing facilities so that orphanage children excel and excel in education and improve their life skills. As well as providing motivation to increase self-confidence that children who have a background of poverty must remain enthusiastic and feel happy because they can be cared for for their future. The foster parents at the orphanage also changed the mindset of the orphans, who were initially pessimistic because they could not continue their education because they had parents from poverty to the point of thinking that orphans deserved an education.
 Keywords: Resilience; Youth; Poverty

Engaging, Explicit, and Elaborated: An Initial Trial of Media-Enhanced Preschool Vocabulary Instruction.

Children from backgrounds of poverty often lag behind more advantaged peers in early language skills, including breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. We report the results of a pilot study of an explicit and elaborated vocabulary intervention in preschool classrooms serving children from lower-income backgrounds. The intervention used multimodal instruction, including segments from public television children's programs and interactive games, to build children's knowledge of and semantic connections for 128 words across 18 weeks of daily lessons. Within 39 classrooms representing childcare, Head Start, and public prekindergarten settings, 192 preschool-age children (M = 52.10 months) participated in structured lessons and extension activities delivered by teachers and aides. Within-child comparisons of growth for taught target words versus matched untaught words revealed that children grew on all words but demonstrated significantly greater growth for taught words. Results support the value of elaborated and explicit vocabulary instruction and the role of visual media as contexts for preschooler's word learning.

Inspiring engagement through creative and embodied learning

ABSTRACT Academic underachievement of students from disadvantaged backgrounds is an ongoing problem for Australian schooling. Schools serving these communities face profound challenges in meeting their students’ educational needs. Creative and Embodied approaches draw on pedagogical practices inherent in Health and Physical Education and the Arts. They offer potential to re-connect affective, cognitive and embodied dimensions that allow access to, and alternative ways of demonstrating, learning beyond the discipline areas. This paper draws on conceptual resources in embodiment and artistic practice to build a case for a creative and embodied pedagogy that brings together notions of learning ‘in’ and ‘through’ movement and imagination. Outcomes advance understandings of ‘learning bodies’ as well as potential for transformative practice with young people from poverty backgrounds such that they might engage more powerfully with school, develop strong connections, and are re-inspired to learn.

The Effect of Information Technology in Eradicating Poverty (Case Study: Punk Community in Medan City)

From year to year, the poverty rate in Indonesia is getting lower. However, reducing poverty is still far from the goals set by the government, such as the MDGs and the 2009–2014 RPJMN. The government needs a new approach to achieve its goal of alleviating poverty, not Information and communication technology is one method (ICT). ICT is considered to be able to evaluate poverty relief in many countries. The Technology Development Index can be used to track ICT growth. One of the main causes of the failure of poverty alleviation efforts in Indonesia is the lack of knowledge of the Indonesian people about technology management and their lack of access to information. Even in big cities, access to complete information and the latest technology is not evenly distributed, as evidenced by the buskers and beggars who still roam the roads (Rizky, et al., 2015: 133). The poverty rate in the city of Medan can increase because of the large punk community there. In theory, information and communication technology should be widely known in all fields (Argiati, 2010:60), but in practice, the urban poverty rate in Medan can increase due to the emergence of a large punk subculture with a poverty background. Therefore, it is interesting to conduct this research to find out how information and communication technology can reduce urban poverty, especially for the punk community in Medan. The lack of information and communication technology literacy also contributes to the creation of many marginalized groups. The purpose of this article is to: Describe the history of punk culture; and discuss how technology, knowledge, and communication can help the punk community fight urban poverty. This study uses a qualitative descriptive methodology. Medan City is the city where this research was conducted. In-depth interviews, documentation, and observation are the three methods used to obtain data.

Social Wellbeing by Design: IT Solution for Children Mental Health Problems in Urban Poverty of Klang Valley

In recent years, Malaysia’s urban poverty has been seen as increasingly apparent because of urbanization. Children under the age of 18 are some of the most affected groups in urban poor communities facing a variety of daily problems and challenges. Growing up in this environment ultimately affects their mental health. This study was conducted to investigate children’s mental health problems in the urban poverty community of the Klang Valley area. Based on the desk research conducted, we have found children are vulnerable to mental health issues and more susceptible if coming from an urban poverty background. Available intervention systems are insufficient and non-accessible. The main objective of this study is to adapt the soft system methodology for Community IT-Based project. The method involved using action research. Postgraduate students in Information Technology from a public university in Malaysia taking the problem-solving course for information technology had applied the soft system methodology in their group project. Using Soft System Methodology (SSM), the phenomenon is studied to explore the issues systematically, untie hidden relationships of involved stakeholders and suggest an ideal solution. We propose the Public Mental Health Booth with telehealth and online tips services, bridging the gap between children in need of professional help to the professionals themselves. The conceived solution integrates social wellbeing by design, which promotes security and empowerment for a possible positive behavioral change. The main contribution and motivation for this study are in the form of adaptation of SSM to the local context as a case study in guiding future research and application for Community IT-Based Projects. This research supports Sustainable Development Goals on Quality Education and Good Health and Well-Being.

Il 'viaggio' nei romanzi di Jean-Claude Izzo: traiettoria di un uomo tra Marsiglia e il Mediterraneo

Credited as one of the most brilliant modern authors of noir thrillers, Jean-Claude Izzo offers, via his novels set in Marseilles, a vibrant portray of his beloved city, walked around by his alter ego, the cop Fabio Montale in the Marseilles Trilogy. Against the background of poverty, violence, racial tensions and political corruption, the 'Phocean City' stands as a cosmopolitan port living through a symbiotic relationship with the Mediterranean. Indeed, Marseilles and the sea are not only a frame for Izzo's stories – from Total Chaos, Chourmo and Solea (Marseilles Trilogy) to The Lost Sailors and A Sun for the Dying – but they are the main figures of his writings. In our contribution we shall explore the various facets of the journey according to Izzo: a physical displacement (urban practice or sea travel) which turns out to be an inner journey for his heroes.

Summer Preschools for Syrian Refugee and Host Community Children in Turkey: A Model of Contextually Sensitive Early Intervention

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study evaluated the impacts of the Summer Preschools Program on 5-to-6-year-old Syrian refugee and local children from vulnerable communities of Turkey. Developed as a community-based contextually sensitive early intervention model, the program aimed to promote developmental well-being and school readiness of children from forced displacement and abject poverty backgrounds by supporting cognitive, language, and socioemotional development prior to primary school. A skill-based preschool education curriculum was implemented with 2620 children for 10 weeks at 140 classrooms in Southeastern Anatolia region across the war-torn border zone with Northern Syria. The study included 711 children in quasi-experimental design and pursued a multi-measure evaluation approach in seven early development domains. ANCOVA analyses revealed that after controlling for pretest scores, the intervention group scored significantly higher than the control group on posttest measures of preliteracy and prenumeracy, receptive and expressive language, and emotion-regulation skills. Additionally, there was a significant increase in social competence skills and decrease in internalizing/externalizing behavior problems. Intervention resulted in substantial improvements with mostly medium-to-large effect size. Overall, results suggest the effectiveness of the Summer Preschools as a compensation intervention strategy that can foster developmental well-being, school readiness, and resilience of children exposed to early life adversities. Practice or Policy: With its conceptual framework, intervention content, and implementation structure, the Summer Preschools model can inform support services and education policies of countries grappling with refugee influx.

Texas Grade 3 Underrepresented Boys and Economic Status Differences in Reading: A Statewide, Multiyear Study

In this statewide, multiyear analysis, the extent to which differences were present in reading by the economic status of Grade 3 Asian, Black, and Hispanic boys was determined. Specifically examined was the relationship of poverty to the three State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading Reporting Categories for Grade 3 Asian, Black, and Hispanic boys in the 2015-2016 through the 2018-2019 school years. Also examined was the relationship of poverty to the STAAR Grade Level Phase-in Standards for Grade 3 Asian, Black, and Hispanic boys. Inferential statistical analyses revealed the presence of statistically significant differences in reading as a function of the economic status of Asian boys, Black boys, and Hispanic boys. In every instance, Asian boys, Black boys, and Hispanic boys who were Poor were outperformed by their counterparts who were Not Poor. Considering the majority of students in Texas come from poverty backgrounds, these findings are of great concern. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Community perceptions and practices of early childhood development in an urban-poor setting in Nairobi: Uncovering contextual drivers beneath poverty

Worldwide, over 250 million children under five are at risk of not achieving their developmental potential due to extreme poverty, malnutrition, infections, and unstimulating environments. Caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices of child care are a salient yet important factor in influencing early childhood development (ECD) outcomes. While knowledge, attitudes and practices of ECD and associated factors are indeed noticeable and contribute significantly to developmental outcomes, the chances of them being addressed are minimal as they are not being investigated. We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of ECD, and associated challenges in an urban-poor setting in Kenya. A qualitative survey was conducted among parents and other community members in Korogocho, Nairobi within the context of a larger study which aimed to examine the feasibility and impact of a mobile phone application for monitoring child developmental milestones. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) with 64 primary caregivers, 64 community health volunteers (CHVs), and 11 representatives from county and sub-county government to gauge their knowledge, attitude and practices in ECD. We also asked them about the challenges they faced in supporting child stimulation, nutrition and health care, and what their expectations were of the proposed intervention. Interviews were audio-recorded, and the data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the community (parents, and CHVs) appreciated the importance of ECD. However, their perceptions and caregiving practices were generally poor and were driven by poverty and cultural and religious beliefs and practices, and family factors that act in the background of poverty. Implications of these findings for future research, policy and interventions for improving these practices are discussed.

Modelling Prenatal Care Pathways at a Central Hospital in Zimbabwe.

Background:Maternal mortality remains a problem in low-income countries (LICs). In Zimbabwe, there has been an unprecedented increase in maternal mortality in the last 2.5 decades. Effective prenatal care delivery, particularly early visits, appropriate number of visits, and receiving recommended care is viewed as key to reducing fatal care outcomes.Aims:This study sought to model and identify gaps requiring service and care delivery improvement in prenatal care pathways for pregnant women visiting Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.Methods:This was a case study of the services offered by an antenatal care department at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Evidence from literature in low-income countries was used to develop prenatal care pathway guidelines as a tool to guide care delivery and identify gaps in care and service delivery. One hundred cases of prenatal care records were reviewed to determine the prenatal care pathway and care delivered to pregnant women. This data was complemented by interviews with 20 maternity care clinicians.Results:In 100 maternity case records studied, 53% booked for prenatal care. Of the 53% (n = 53) pregnant women who booked, their first visit on their pregnancy was late at an average gestational age of 27.1 weeks with extremes of 30 to 40 weeks in 38% (n = 20) cases. Missing scheduled prenatal care appointments was prevalent, with only 11% (n = 6) having attended all the expected 5 visits, whilst 60% (n = 32) missed 3 or more. There were inadequacies in the care delivered to women in each visit compared to that expected in such areas as obstetrics, physical examinations and haematological tests. Maternity care clinicians attributed the cost of prenatal booking fees in the background of poverty and poor family support systems as key factors hindering women’s access to prenatal services.Conclusions:The current prenatal care pathway at MCH requires improvement in the areas of referral, adherence to appointment by pregnant women and visiting prenatal care early. Clinicians also need to adhere to standard clinical tests recommended for each specific pregnant woman’s visit. In the Zimbabwean setting with limited resources, where the number of visits is already low, pathways with reduced visits may not be appropriate. An investment into prenatal care by the government is recommended to enable the utilisation of interventions such as e-health technologies that may improve care delivery as well as adherence to best practices. E-health and mobile health technologies involving e-referrals, e-booking, decision support, and reminder systems are recommended for clinicians to manage and deliver appropriate care to patients as well as pregnant women to adhere to scheduled visits.

NIH Workshop on HIV-Associated Comorbidities, Coinfections, and Complications: Summary and Recommendation for Future Research.

With potent antiretroviral therapy and simplified regimens, people living with HIV (PWH) are achieving near-normal lifespans but not necessarily a normal health span or healthy aging. PWH have a higher than expected risk of developing a number of non-AIDS comorbidities, coinfections, and complications (CCC), often against a background of stigma, poverty, and isolation. To gain a better understanding of research needs for HIV-associated CCC, the NIH convened a 2-day workshop (HIV-associated CCC, or HIV ACTION). A cross-institute NIH planning committee identified 6 key research areas: epidemiology and population research, pathogenesis and basic science research, clinical research, implementation science research, syndemics research and international research in low and middle income countries. Investigators were selected to lead working groups (WGs) to assess the state-of-the-art and identify 3-5 priority areas in each field before the workshop. A 2-day program at the NIH was developed which included presentations by invited experts and WG members. Over 400 participants attended the workshop. After general and individual WG discussions, the most pressing gaps, questions, or proposed action items were identified. Priority lists of pressing research issues were presented by cochairs of each WG. A detailed report is posted at the NHLBI website. This article reports the streamlined priority list and a summary of WG discussions to inform investigators of current priorities in the field. Collaborative efforts of many disciplines are needed to improve the health and wellbeing of PWH. Several common themes emerged across WG representing potential priorities for investigators and recommendations for the NIH.

Poverty in Rural Areas : an Outline of the Problem

This article is an attempt to determine the level of poverty in rural areas in Poland. The author reviewed the most important publications on poverty and the indicators that determine its scale. Relative, objective and subjective poverty lines were used to present the range of rural poverty against the background of total poverty. Analyses showed that the at-risk-of-poverty rate for rural areas in Poland amounted to 21.2%. This means that almost every fifth rural resident is at risk of poverty, whereas every tenth resident is at risk of extreme poverty. The article also presents the rural areas in Poland which are at the highest risk of social exclusion. These areas were distinguished on the basis of the number of registered families receiving social benefits. Both Eurostat (EU-SILC) and Local Data Bank of the Statistics Poland (BDL GUS) were used. (original abstract)

Analyzing factors for an optimum play environment through children’s subjective well-being indicators

Although children’s play environments are known to be linked to their subjective well-being (SWB), this is not a topic that has been thoroughly studied. The present article has three aims: to identify factors that can ensure an optimum play environment in relation to children’s SWB; to analyze the most relevant groups of children that share similar play environments; and to focus on social inequality according to gender, background, and conditions of poverty and disability. The cluster analysis was performed using the indicators included in the Children’s Worlds international research project, and the participants comprised 3,962 children living in Barcelona (Spain) in 2017 (mean age = 10.7). With regard to the results, overall most children reported four deficits: a lack of age-appropriate rest, not being free from peer discrimination, not feeling safe within the local neighborhood, and not having enough freedom of choice. On the positive side, children displayed low stress and boredom, high satisfaction with their free time, and reported being able to spend time or play outside almost every day, all of which contributing to a high SWB. Girls, children living in poverty or from foreign geographical or cultural backgrounds experienced this in a lesser extent. The conclusions contribute new knowledge to psychosocial interventions to improve children’s play environments and well-being.

CEOs Poverty Experience and Corporate Acquisitions

In this study we examine whether a CEO’s poverty experiences in early life affect corporate strategy of acquisitions. Drawing upon insights of imprinting theory and inferiority-compensation logic, we argue that CEOs growing up in poverty environment, compared to their counterparts growing up in non-poverty environment, may experience a feeling of inferiority because of their disadvantageous background, which motivates them to undertake acquisitions so as to seek for compensation in material wealth, self-esteem, and social standing. We therefore posit that CEOs with poverty background (i.e., grew up in poverty environment) are likely to demonstrate a higher level of acquisitiveness. We further propose that the inferiority compensation logic will be strengthened when CEOs experienced famine or when their firms are located in more affluent regions. Evidence from public-listed manufacturing firms in China largely supports our predictions.

Democratic and Educational Background of Information Poverty: The Case of Turkey

Information poverty is one of the most significant characteristics of developing countries and its causes include multiple complex factors, including educational, scientific and technological contexts, political, social and cultural structures, democratic quality, and humanitarian conditions. The purpose of this study is to examine the situation of information poverty in Turkey, focusing on its democratic and educational aspects. In the scope of the study the basic concept of information poverty is briefly introduced. Then, the particular case of Turkey is presented based on domestic and international literature and other public and official sources. The study concludes Turkey is one of the countries which suffers from information poverty, because of failing to fulfill minimal democratic and educational conditions. Associated problems covered do not seem to be solved in the short term. Recommendations are that the first step in the amelioration of information poverty must be awareness-raising by targeting all governmental and societal segments. A multidimensional approach that addresses all segments and policies of the country may be useful, because there is no single factor that explains the information poverty. Finally, librarians and other intellectual workers have a significant role to play in this process.

Peritonitis profile in a cohort of extreme poverty patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-5 year experience from a South Indian public private partnership model PD programme

Introduction Limitations in finance and education is thought to translate into poor technique , understanding and thereby into higher incidence of peritonitis and ultimately poor patient and technique survival. This notion sometimes leads to such patients being denied Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD). Methods: In 2013, 20 patients were initiated on CAPD under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model project in Karnataka province, India. By regulation, they were required to belong to Below Poverty Line (BPL ) category which is a measure of extreme poverty. BPL is the equivalent of earning less than a dollar per day. They were followed up for peritonitis, technique and patient survival besides overall performance. Results: 20 patients were included ( Male: 60%, Mean age 56.7 years, Diabetic Nephropathy 48%). Peritonitis rate was 1 in 33.8 patient –months, with 3 episodes of Fungal Peritonitis (FP) including one of Candida Hemolunii. All FP led to termination of CAPD. Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) was the most common pathogen isolated , accounting for 60% of the episodes. Technique survival was 15% and patient survival was 20% at 5 years. Cardiovascular disease, sepsis, and malignancy accounted for majority of the deaths. Conclusions: Patients with background of extreme poverty had peritonitis rates comparable to good centres, however patient survival at 5 years was lower. Educational or economic considerations did not seem to be an impediment to successful CAPD.

Living with systemic lupus erythematosus in South Africa: a bitter pill to swallow

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often has a profound negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In the absence of any qualitative studies in sub-Saharan Africa, we undertook a study to explore living experiences, perceptions and unmet needs of South African patients with SLE.MethodsTwenty-five women with SLE consented to participate in the study. They underwent individual in-depth interviews exploring their physical concerns, emotional health, sexual well-being and fertility. NVivo software was used for analysis.ResultsParticipants were either of black ancestry or mixed racial ancestry, mainly indigent with only a quarter gainfully employed. Living with pain was the most common complaint, negatively impacting on activities of daily living (ADL), family expectations, social life, sleep and intimacy. Most participants expressed challenges of living with fatigue, and many felt their fatigue was misconstrued as being ‘simply lazy’. This pernicious fatigue had negative consequences on many facets of ADL, including caring for dependants, job sustainability and sexual well-being. All participants experienced low emotional states, often associated with suicidal ideations. Many experienced difficulties with fertility and childbearing and these were exacerbated in many instances by the pessimism of health care providers, resulting in confusion and depression. Physical disfigurements resulting from lupus-associated alopecia and rashes and corticosteroid-induced weight fluctuations were a major concern. These changes often affected self-image and libido, leading to strained personal relationships. Coping mechanisms that participants adopted included intense spiritual beliefs, ‘pushing through the difficult times’ and use of alternative therapies to relief symptoms was common. A poor understanding of SLE on the part of participant’s family and the community, coupled with the unpredictable course of the disease, exacerbated frustration and social exclusion. For most, limited income, lack of basic services, family dependencies, and comorbid diseases, such as human immune deficiency virus (HIV), exacerbated the daily negative SLE experiences.ConclusionIn this study of mainly indigent South African women, SLE is associated with complex, chronic and challenging life experiences. The chronic relapsing and unpredictable nature of the disease, poor understanding and acceptance of SLE, compounded by a background of poverty, inadequate social support structures, negatively impact on a range of personal, social and vocational daily life experiences. Improved access to psychosocial services and SLE education might result in better outcomes.Trial registration(Ethics Project identification code: 275/2016 and M160633 registered 10 & 29 August 2016).