Poor Research Articles

Perceived Impacts of the Expanded Child Tax Credit Cessation Based on Family Income Level.

The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit (ECTC) lifted millions of children out of poverty and drastically improved well-being. These impacts were particularly salient for families with lower income among those who received the full ECTC benefit. This study gathered lived experiences on the ECTC cessation and explored differential impacts across income levels to inform discussions around policy restoration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents who had a child (2-12 years) who received the full ECTC. Interviews occurred in May 2022 after the ECTC ended. Changes in financial security and health were assessed. Families were classified as having lower vs. higher income (LI; n=19 vs. HI; n=19) corresponding to household income below vs. above 200% of the Federal Poverty Line. Inductive analysis and constant-comparison methods generated themes on similarities/differences between groups. Results indicated families with LI experienced severe financial constraints and greater negative emotions, after the ECTC ended. Many reduced spending, budgeted, accepted financial support from family/friends, and delayed credit card payments. More families with HI reported the ECTC provided a financial buffer placingthem in a more secure position to meet current needs. Both groups reported negative impacts from inflation coinciding with the ECTC ending and minimal changes in their income tax return. Families overwhelmingly reported a desire for the ECTC to continue, despite experiencing different degrees of impact due to these financial changes. Families with LI faced greater hardships after the ECTC ended. Differences across income highlight the need for ECTC restoration, particularly for families in severely under-resourced circumstances.

Relationship between the cognitive status of the long-living adults of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation and socioeconomic factors: analysis of associations

Background: In recent years, an increase in the number of long-living adults has been a dominant demographic trend in Russia. This population group is highly susceptible to cognitive dysfunctions. Cognitive impairment disrupts the lives of those affected and puts an immense burden on their caregivers. Currently, there are no clinically applicable therapies or prevention strategies for cognitive impairment. Therefore, it is critically important to determine which lifestyle factors contribute to cognitive decline and to develop well-informed preventive strategies. The aim of the study: The study sought to identify the association between cognitive status and lifestyle. Materials and methods: The participants (n=2762) were recruited from 2019 to 2021 from the central regions of Russia. Detailed medical/case histories were obtained, including marital status, education, and social and economic background. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate cognitive status. The Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-squared test were used to test the associations between the sex and the factors under study. Logistic regression was used to assess the associations between the factors and cognitive impairment. Results: Age, sex, lower levels of education, and lower income were risk factors of cognitive impairment. Engaging in physical activity, hobbies, and having a pet were protective against cognitive impairment. In women, cognitive dysfunctions were correlated with the duration of menopause. The predictive model for cognitive dysfunctions based on sex, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors generated (ROC AUC=0.687). Conclusion: The findings confirmed that cognitive dysfunctions in long-living adults were associated with the socioeconomic factors, marital status, and lifestyle. The proposed model makes it possible to assess in advance the risk of developing cognitive impairments in old age and take measures to correct lifestyle to preserve brain functions.

Patient practices, perceptions, and barriers to self-measurement of blood pressure in a rural health system.

Self-measurement of blood pressure (SMBP) is endorsed by current guidelines for diagnosing and managing hypertension (HTN). We surveyed individuals in a rural healthcare system on practices and attitudes related to SMBP that could guide future practice. : Survey questions were sent via an online patient portal to a random sample of 56,275 patients with either BP >140/90 mmHg or cardiovascular care in the system. Questions addressed home blood pressure (BP) monitor ownership, use, willingness to purchase, desire to share data with providers, perceptions of patient education, and patient-centeredness of care. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine patient characteristics associated with SMBP behaviors. The overall response rate was 12%, and 8.4% completed all questions. Most respondents, 60.9%, owned a BP monitor, while 51.5% reported checking their BP at home the month prior. Among device owners, 45.1% reported receiving instructions on SMBP technique, frequency, and readings interpretation. Only 29.2% reported sharing readings with providers in the last six months, whereas 57.9% said they would be willing to do so regularly. Older age, female sex, and higher income were associated with a higher likelihood of device ownership. Younger age, lower income, and Medicaid insurance were associated with a greater willingness to share SMBP results with providers regularly. While a significant proportion of respondents performed SMBP regularly, many reported insufficient education on SMBP, and few shared their home BP readings with providers. Patient-centered interventions and telemedicine-based care are opportunities that emerged in our survey that could enhance future HTN care.

Correlates of missed or late versus timely diagnosis of dementia in healthcare settings.

There is limited evidence about factors related to the timeliness of dementia diagnosis in healthcare settings. In five prospective cohorts at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, we identified participants with incident dementia based on annual assessments and examined the timing of healthcare diagnoses in Medicare claims. We assessed sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial correlates of timely diagnosis. Of 710 participants, 385 (or 54%) received a timely claims diagnosis within 3 years prior to or 1 year following dementia onset. In logistic regressions accounting for demographics, we found Black participants (odds ratio [OR]=2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21 to 3.82) and those with better cognition at dementia onset (OR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.98) were at higher odds of experiencing a diagnostic delay, whereas participants with higher income (OR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.81 to 0.97) and more comorbidities (OR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.89 to 0.98) had lower odds. We identified characteristics of individuals who may miss the optimal window for dementia treatment and support. We compared the timing of healthcare diagnosis relative to the timing of incident dementia based on rigorous annual evaluation. Older Black adults with lower income, higher cognitive function, and fewer comorbidities were less likely to be diagnosed in a timely manner by the healthcare system.

A Multi-Strategy Collaborative Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm for UAV Path Planning

The Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm (GWO) is a member of the swarm intelligence algorithm family, which possesses the highlights of easy realization, simple parameter settings and wide applicability. However, in some large-scale application problems, the grey wolf optimization algorithm easily gets trapped in local optima, exhibits poor global exploration ability and suffers from premature convergence. Since grey wolf’s update is guided only by the best three wolves, it leads to low population multiplicity and poor global exploration capacity. In response to the above issues, we design a multi-strategy collaborative grey wolf optimization algorithm (NOGWO). Firstly, we use a random walk strategy to extend the exploration scope and enhance the algorithm’s global exploration capacity. Secondly, we add an opposition-based learning model influenced by refraction principle to generate an opposite solution for each population, thereby improving population multiplicity and preventing the algorithm from being attracted to local optima. Finally, to balance local exploration and global exploration and elevate the convergence effect, we introduce a novel convergent factor. We conduct experimental testing on NOGWO by using 30 CEC2017 test functions. The experimental outcomes indicate that compared with GWO and some swarm intelligence algorithms, NOGWO has better global exploration capacity and convergence accuracy. In addition, we also apply NOGWO to three engineering problems and an unmanned aerial vehicle path planning problem. The outcomes of the experiment suggest that NOGWO performs well in solving these practical problems.

Intersectional inequalities in health anxiety: multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy in the SOMA.SOC study.

Intersectional approaches are needed to disaggregate the complex interaction of social identities contributing to (mental) health disparities. Health anxiety represents an overlooked public mental health issue. Therefore, intersectional inequalities in health anxiety were examined using multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA). Analyses are based on cross-sectional data of the adult population living in Germany (N = 2,413). Health anxiety was assessed with the Whiteley Index-7. Applying intersectional MAIHDA, health anxiety in the intersectional strata of gender, history of migration, and income was predicted. Discriminatory accuracy was assessed via the intra-class correlation and the proportional change in variance. Analyses revealed additive social inequalities in health anxiety with greatest impact of low income but no clear intersectional gradient. Most affected by health anxiety were females who immigrated themselves with low income, males whose parent(s) immigrated with low income, and males who immigrated themselves with medium income. Intersectional approaches contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of (mental) health disparities. In addition to general efforts to counteract health inequalities, combining universal screening and targeted psychotherapeutic treatment seems promising to specifically reduce inequalities in health anxiety.

Temporal trends in population attributable fractions of modifiable risk factors for dementia: a time-series study of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2004–2019)

BackgroundInterest in modifiable risk factors (MRFs) for dementia is high, given the personal, social, and economic impact of the disorder, especially in ageing societies such as the United Kingdom. Exploring the population attributable fraction (PAF) of dementia attributable to MRFs and how this may have changed over time remains unclear. Unravelling the temporal dynamics of MRFs is crucial for informing the development of evidence-based and effective public health policies. This investigation examined the temporal trajectories of MRFs for dementia in England.MethodsWe used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a panel study over eight waves collected between 2004 and 2019 (76,904 interviews in total). We calculated the PAFs for twelve MRFs (including six early- to mid-life factors and six late-life factors), as recommended by the Lancet Commission, and the individual weighted PAFs (IW-PAFs) for each risk factor. Temporal trends were analysed to understand the changes in the overall PAF and IW-PAF over the study period. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex and socioeconomic status (SES).ResultsThe overall PAF for dementia MRFs changed from 46.73% in 2004/2005 to 36.79% in 2018/2019, though this trend was not statistically significant. During 2004–2019, hypertension, with an average IW-PAF of 8.21%, was the primary modifiable determinant of dementia, followed by obesity (6.16%), social isolation (5.61%), hearing loss (4.81%), depression (4.72%), low education (4.63%), physical inactivity (3.26%), diabetes mellitus (2.49%), smoking (2.0%), excessive alcohol consumption (1.16%), air pollution (0.42%), and traumatic brain injury (TBI) (0.26%). During 2004–2019, only IW-PAFs of low education, social isolation, and smoking showed significant decreasing trends, while IW-PAFs of other factors either did not change significantly or increased (including TBI, diabetes mellitus, and air pollution). Upon sex-specific disaggregation, a higher overall PAF for MRFs was found among women, predominantly associated with later-life risk factors, most notably social isolation, depression, and physical inactivity. Additionally, hearing loss, classified as an early- to mid-life factor, played a supplementary role in the identified sex disparity. A comparable discrepancy was evident upon PAF evaluation by SES, with lower income groups experiencing a higher dementia risk, largely tied to later-life factors such as social isolation, physical inactivity, depression, and smoking. Early- to mid-life factors, in particular, low education and obesity, were also observed to contribute to the SES-associated divergence in dementia risk. Temporal PAF and IW-PAF trends, stratified by sex and SES, revealed that MRF PAF gaps across sex or SES categories have persisted or increased.ConclusionsIn England, there was little change over time in the proportion of dementia attributable to known modifiable risk factors. The observed trends underscore the continuing relevance of these risk factors and the need for targeted public health strategies to address them.

Alcoholism, Family Violence and Related Consequences: A Case Study of Alcohol Affected Families of Punjab

Aims: The main objective of the study was to understand the issues of alcoholism and violence in the family. It discusses how alcoholism leads to family violence and further, derails the life of family members and put an institution of family into a crisis. Study Design: The study was based on fieldwork conducted in different parts of Punjab. Exploratory research design was prepared to understand the issue. Methodology: Sample of 100 families were selected for study and further, four members in each family namely, the alcoholic, spouse, one of the parents and one of the children were selected for the interview, so that an overall picture of family violence can be obtained. A total number of 303 respondents (100 alcoholics, 73 spouse, 68 children, and 62 parents) are interviewed. Semi-structured interview schedule used for data collection purpose. With the help of snowball technique, sampled families and their members are located and interviewed. Results: The study found 87% of the families faced the incident of violence due to the critical addiction of alcoholic members. Among these families, 80.82% spouses, 79.03% parents and 64.70% children were the victim of violence. Physical abuse was found very common among spouses (69.86%), verbal abuse among parents (91.78%) and mental abuse among children (63.01%). Majority (57.47%) families, who faced violence, belongs to low income category and less education category (86.18%). Conclusion: The study concludes, critical addiction of alcohol leaves the highest probability for occurrence of violence in the family. Further, it increases the probability of more critical consumption of alcohol among alcoholics and then more violence. Gradually, all of this turn into a vicious circle of critical drinking and family violence. Moreover, this creates many troubles for all members of the family and pushes the institution of family towards crisis.

The Socio-Environmental Determinants of Childhood Malnutrition: A Spatial and Hierarchical Analysis.

Despite a remarkable reduction in global poverty and famines, substantial childhood malnutrition continues to persist. In 2017, over 50 million and 150 million young children suffered from acute malnutrition (wasting) and chronic malnutrition (stunting), respectively. Yet, the measurable impact of determinants is obscure. We evaluate proposed socio-environmental related determinants of stunting and wasting across Kenya and Nigeria and quantify their effectiveness. We combine health and demographic data from Kenya and Nigeria Demographic Health Surveys (2003, 2008-2009, 2013, 2014) with spatially explicit precipitation, temperature, and vegetation data. Geospatial and disaggregated data help to understand better who is at risk and where to target mitigation efforts. We evaluate the responsiveness of malnutrition indicators using a four-level random intercept hierarchical generalized logit model. We find that spatial and hierarchical relationships explain 28% to 36% of malnutrition outcome variation. Temporal variation in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation corresponds with more than a 50% change in malnutrition rates. Wasting is most impacted by mother's education, family wealth, clinical delivery, and vaccinations. Stunting is most impacted by family wealth, mother's education, clinical delivery, vaccinations, and children asymptomatic of fever, cough, or diarrhea. Remotely monitored climatic variables are powerful determinants, however, their effects are inconsistent across different indicators and locations.

Democracia representativa-una lectura interseccional

Objective: Analyze, from a critical and intersectional perspective, the organization, composition and legislative performance of a commission focused on women's sexual and reproductive rights, called the Parliamentary Front to Combat Abortion – Pró-Vida. Methodology: An intersectional reading was carried out regarding the constitution of the Parliamentary Front to Combat Abortion - "Pró-Vida", of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goiás (ALEGO), and the sociodemographic profile of its members was outlined, discussed in light of social markers, gender, race/ethnicity, social class and religion and problematized about a topic that directly affects women's health and lives, abortion. Results and discussion: analysis of the results points to female underrepresentation, the prevalence of white people and the predominance of conservative ideology in customs and religion in the sociodemographic profile considered. In contrast, the literature, when discussing the social markers under investigation, portrays those who choose to have an abortion as black women, with low income and education, and who look to parties with a progressive bias to advocate for their causes. Conclusion: The traditional structure present in the Parliamentary Front investigated faces challenges in building a representative debate capable of reproducing in public policies the complex identities, needs and experiences of women at risk of miscarriage. In this argument, the construction of political practices and legislative approaches must primarily consider the complexities of identity and the intersections and oppressions that lead women to abortion in order to, ultimately, build an inclusive, equitable and representative democracy. Submission: 02/22/24| Review: 03/12/24| Approval: 04/24/24

Spatiotemporal analysis of HPV vaccination and associated neighborhood-level disparities in Texas-an ecological study.

HPV is responsible for most cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. The HPV vaccine has decreased cervical cancer incidence, but only 49% of Texas adolescents have initiated the vaccine. Texas shows great variation in HPV vaccination rates. We used geospatial analysis to identify areas with high and low vaccination rates and explored differences in neighborhood characteristics. Using Anselin's Local Moran's I statistic, we conducted an ecological analysis of hot and cold spots of adolescent HPV vaccination coverage in Texas from 2017 to 2021. Next, we utilized a Mann-Whitney U test to compare neighborhood characteristics of vaccination coverage in hot spots versus cold spots, leveraging data from the Child Opportunity Index (COI) and American Community Survey. In Texas, there are 64 persistent vaccination coverage hotspots and 55 persistent vaccination coverage cold spots. The persistent vaccination coverage hot spots are characterized by ZIP codes with lower COI scores, higher percentages of Hispanic residents, higher poverty rates, and smaller populations per square mile compared to vaccine coverage cold spots. We found a more pronounced spatial clustering pattern for male adolescent vaccine coverage than we did for female adolescent vaccine coverage. In Texas, HPV vaccination coverage rates differ depending on the community's income level, with lower-income areas achieving higher success rates. Notably, there are also gender-based discrepancies in vaccination coverage rates, particularly among male adolescents. This knowledge can aid advocates in customizing their outreach initiatives to address these disparities.

Research on trust mechanism of supply chain finance under Industrial Internet embedded with blockchain.

In traditional supply chain finance, the financing of enterprise mainly relies on the credit segmentation of the core enterprise, resulting in a short trust transmission radius and poor financing ability. The development of Internet technology, while expanding financing channels, has also seen an increasing severity in issues such as information fraud and data breaches, which has further aggravated the trust crisis in supply chain finance. This paper integrates blockchain technology into the industrial internet platform and analyzes the applicability of both in empowering supply chain financial trust. Then a supply chain financial trust framework, which emphasizes information sharing, data security, and trust circulation, is proposed. Furthermore, combined with the theories of Funk-SVD and entropy value, this paper designs a global trust evaluation mechanism that facilitates the trust circulation in supply chain finance and proposes a recommendation algorithm for global trust. With the testing conducted using the Epinions dataset, it is found that the algorithm proposed in this paper has a strong data dimensionality reduction and concentration ability, especially for large sample data, it can obtain more accurate evaluation values with less space occupation, thus enhancing the trust circulation ability of supply chain finance. Finally, the paper puts forward specific policy recommendations for the implementation of the supply chain finance information mechanism, aiming to better improve the financing accessibility of enterprises in supply chain, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Civil society and education in Turkey: the relations between the Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Imam Hatip Schools (1951-1976)

Imam Hatip schools are among the educational institutions that have had a major impact on the social transformations in Turkey’s recent history. These institutions have played a major role in integrating the rural population to urban life and culture by providing access to education and integrating them into modern urban society. The critical role these ‘religious’ Imam Hatip schools have played could only have been realized with the social and financial support of civil society organizations. Organizations such as İlim Yayma Cemiyeti (Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge) (IYC) have contributed greatly to these schools’ ability to reach out to large masses and the continuation of education among lower income students. This article aims to reveal the relationship between Imam Hatip schools and civil society through the example of the Istanbul Imam Hatip School opened in 1951 and to discuss the impact of civil organizations on schooling in Turkish society. Furthermore, the study examines the role of IYC has had in the mental, physical, and outward transformation of the modern urban citizen. This article therefore argues Imam Hatip schools and the IYC to have played vital roles in modernizing Turkish society since the second half of the twentieth century. According to the research findings, the IYC’s contributions range from housing and providing clothing to educational materials, medical and hospital expenses, university preparation courses, and undergraduate scholarships. The IYC Archive’s decision records will be used for the first time in a study and constitute the main source upon which this research is based.

Civil society and education in Turkey: the relations between the Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Imam Hatip Schools (1951-1976)

Imam Hatip schools are among the educational institutions that have had a major impact on the social transformations in Turkey’s recent history. These institutions have played a major role in integrating the rural population to urban life and culture by providing access to education and integrating them into modern urban society. The critical role these ‘religious’ Imam Hatip schools have played could only have been realized with the social and financial support of civil society organizations. Organizations such as İlim Yayma Cemiyeti (Society for the Dissemination of Knowledge) (IYC) have contributed greatly to these schools’ ability to reach out to large masses and the continuation of education among lower income students. This article aims to reveal the relationship between Imam Hatip schools and civil society through the example of the Istanbul Imam Hatip School opened in 1951 and to discuss the impact of civil organizations on schooling in Turkish society. Furthermore, the study examines the role of IYC has had in the mental, physical, and outward transformation of the modern urban citizen. This article therefore argues Imam Hatip schools and the IYC to have played vital roles in modernizing Turkish society since the second half of the twentieth century. According to the research findings, the IYC’s contributions range from housing and providing clothing to educational materials, medical and hospital expenses, university preparation courses, and undergraduate scholarships. The IYC Archive’s decision records will be used for the first time in a study and constitute the main source upon which this research is based.

Analyzing variability in urban energy poverty: A stochastic modeling and Monte Carlo simulation approach

Urban energy poverty remains a critical challenge affecting millions worldwide, with significant implications for socio-economic development and sustainability. This study employs Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the variability in energy poverty, as measured by the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI). Through this approach, we explored how different socio-economic predictors affect MEPI scores across five scenarios: economic growth and diversification, energy transition and technological innovation, climate change impacts and vulnerability, policy intervention and social safety nets, and stagnation and rising inequality. The sensitivity analysis revealed that household income, size, and food security are paramount in influencing urban energy poverty levels. Scenarios involving economic growth and technological innovation demonstrated positive impacts on reducing energy poverty, while scenarios of climate change and economic stagnation highlighted the vulnerabilities and widening disparities within populations. The results suggest that to effectively alleviate urban energy poverty, policy interventions must be comprehensive, targeting the identified influential factors. The study emphasizes the need for targeted policy interventions on social safety nets to alleviate energy poverty.

Analysis of Factors Contributing to the Employment of Migrants in Tirupur, India

Migrant workers play an important role in the Tiruppur's economy. This paper explores the factors responsible for getting employment and how it is a source of employment based on the primary data collected from 200 migrant households of Tirupur by using stratified random sampling technique. The structured interview schedule was used to collect the information from the selected households and Garett Ranking Technique was used. The analysis of pull factors shows that continuous employment is the most important pull factor. It is found that relatives and friends are the important source of information for more migrants after getting the assurance of employment. The main reason for the migration is landlessness, indebtedness, family commitment, inadequate income to maintain family, low income from agriculture, failure of crop, low wage, failed of own business, not willing to be an agricultural laborer, family problem and religious/social/political conflicts.

Increasing Community Preparedness In Facing Floods Disaster In Jakarta City

Flood disasters are the third cause of economic loss of all natural disasters throughout the world. Jakarta, as a waterfront city, is often hit by floods every year, especially during the rainy season. This research is focused on identifying and analyzing community responses and their relationship with their knowledge, preparedness and level of action towards disasters. This research is an exploratory case study research based on primary and secondary data. Research findings show that people in coastal areas have a high level of knowledge about floods (64%). This knowledge is high relative to the sum of their past experiences; However, they are less prepared (43%) because most of the residents are fishermen with low incomes so they don't have to make much effort to adapt to flood-affected houses. On the other hand, people in the interior, they lack knowledge (18%), but they have a good level of preparedness (24%) because of their relatively high-income level. Furthermore, both communities in coastal and inland areas had a high level of action due to high levels of knowledge and experience for coastal residents and good preparedness for inland residents.

Digital Divide Among Beneficiaries and Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program

IntroductionSuccessful delivery of the virtual Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is influenced by a beneficiary's access to a computer and use of the Internet. MethodsUsing the 2020 nationally representative Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, a three-level categorical dependent variable was created: (1) has a computer AND uses Internet, (2) has a computer OR uses Internet, and (3) has no access to either (reference group). A survey-weighted multinomial logit model was performed to examine associations between socio-demographics, comorbidities, and computer access and Internet use in 2023. ResultsOf study beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and no history of diabetes (n=3,875), 70.8% had a computer AND used Internet; 14.3% had a computer OR used Internet; and 14.9% had no computer AND did not use Internet. Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely (OR=0.28, 95%CI [0.17-0.43]) than non-Hispanic Whites to have a computer AND use Internet. Beneficiaries with less education (<high school) were less likely to have a computer AND use Internet (OR=0.04, [0.03-0.06]) or have a computer OR use Internet (OR=0.21, [0.14-0.33]) than those with more than a high school education. Beneficiaries with lower incomes (<$25,000) were less likely to have a computer AND use Internet (OR=0.27, [0.20-0.35]) or have a computer OR use Internet (OR=0.58, [0.41-0.80]) than those with higher incomes (≥$25,000). ConclusionsApproximately 30% of potentially MDPP-eligible beneficiaries (representing ∼6 million beneficiaries) lacked full digital access. Efforts to encourage enrollment in the virtual MDPP must address digital disparities for beneficiaries at-risk for type 2 diabetes.

Effects of a monthly unconditional cash transfer starting at birth on family investments among US families with low income.

How does unconditional income for families in poverty affect parental investments for their young children? Mothers in four US metropolitan areas were randomized to receive a monthly unconditional cash transfer of either $333 per month (high) or $20 per month (low) for the first several years after childbirth. During the first 3 years, high-cash gift households spent more money on child-specific goods and more time on child-specific early learning activities than the low-cash gift group. Few changes were evident in other core household expenditures. Compared with low-cash gift families, high-cash gift families reported lower rates of public benefit receipt and fewer were residing in poverty, although mean income and wealth remain low for the majority of families by year 3. No statistically significant differences were evident in mothers' participation in paid work, children's time in childcare or mothers' subjective wellbeing.

Do Where People Interact Matters to Social Capital? Comparative Analysis of Middle- and High-Rise Public Housing

As a growing country, the challenge of providing affordable housing has grown over recent years. Public housing has emerged as a leading government initiative to provide better housing alternatives, especially for low incomes. However, due to the limited land availability, public housing development has shifted from middle- to high-rise housing type. Previous studies have shown that high-rise living can have detrimental effects on low-income residents, especially regarding their social capital. This study explores the interactional spaces within both housing types, their social capital, and whether the former influences the latter. Quantitative analysis was conducted on 255 respondents in middle- and high-rise public housing for low incomes in the Jakarta Special Region, Indonesia. The results indicated some similarities as well as differences in both housing styles. Respondents in both housing types mostly interacted in corridor areas, even though the percentage was higher for the high-rise case. Moreover, while both cases lacked the same social capital indicators, the middle-rise case had a relatively better situation than its high-rise counterparts. Furthermore, it was found that interactional spaces appear to influence their social capital, and the effects were varied for both middle- and high-rise and each social capital indicator. This study concludes that the intensity of interaction within a particular space does not necessarily translate to better social capital.