Receiving Government Assistance Research Articles

Perceived impact of COVID-19 lockdown on access to healthcare services, food affordability and family income among married patients of a resource-limited primary care setting

Objective: To examine the perceived impact of COVID-19 lockdown on access to healthcare services, food affordability, and family income during the first phase of the pandemic among married people of a resource-limited primary care setting in Kano, Nigeria. Methods: This survey involved 432 married respondents systematically selected from attendees of a primary care clinic in Kano, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire. Results: Over half (53.5%) of respondents or their family members fell ill during the lockdown; 67.1% felt it difficult to access hospital treatment, while 32.9% sick patients resorted to self-medication. Over half (57.2%) could afford food as they used to, 75.0% reported that food items were costly, while 35.9% received government assistance. Only 29.9% had employment, of which 49.6% received a salary, while 29.5% had their salaries reduced. Educational level was significantly associated with ease of accessing healthcare services (χ2 =8.528, P=0.014). Age (χ2=12.209, P<0.001), family type (χ2 =12.943, P<0.001), home location in Kano state (χ2= 15.397, P<0.001) and family headcount (χ2=3.968, P=0.044) were significantly associated with perceived food affordability. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the negative impact of the lockdown on healthcare access, food affordability, and family income among respondents’ families. This suggests the need for more investments in promoting and scaling up telemedicine services as platforms for accessing healthcare, which could be utilized in similar future events. More studies will be needed to ascertain the complete picture of the implementation of social assistance in the study area to enhance planning and distribution of future government social assistance.

Financial assistance and other financial coping strategies after a pediatric cancer diagnosis.

Families experience financial burden and household material hardship (HMH) after a pediatric cancer diagnosis. This study investigates types of financial assistance and other financial coping strategies (FCS) adopted by families during the first year after diagnosis. Retrospective survey of caregivers of pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer from 2015 to 2019. The survey collected data on demographics, diagnosis, income, HMH, and private, hospital, and government assistance received and other FCS adopted after diagnosis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze FCS by income. Subgroup analysis of families experiencing HMH was used to identify predictors of receiving government assistance. Of 156 respondents, 52% were low-to-middle income, 29% had public insurance, and 22% had non-English language preference. Low-to-middle-income families were more likely to incur debt (odds ratio [OR] 6.24, p<.001) and reduce consumption (OR 2.16, p=.03) than high-income families, and this association persisted in multivariable analysis. Among families with housing, food, and energy insecurity, 40%, 70%, and 39%, respectively, received hospital or government assistance specific to the experienced hardship. In subgroup analysis of families with HMH, after adjusting for income and other confounders, non-English language preference was associated with lower odds of receiving government assistance. After a pediatric cancer diagnosis, low-to-middle-income families are more likely to incur debt than high-income families. Most families experiencing food insecurity received some food assistance, while housing and energy assistance were less common. Future studies should investigate methods to equitably improve access to financial assistance and minimize long-term financial consequences.

Composite Performance Index (CPI) Method For Determining Recipients of Community-Based Development (CBD) Assistance Programs At The Dawuan Sub-District Office

The eligibility of recipients of government assistance programs for rural communities is an essential problem in this study. The distribution of recipients of government assistance programs was found to be misdirected. Some rich people receive government assistance programs, but some poor people do not receive government assistance programs. One of the government assistance programs is Community Based Development (CBD), a community development activity directed at increasing community access to achieve better socioeconomic conditions than before development activities to become more independent with a better quality of life and welfare. Everyone wants this assistance program, but the eligibility level of recipients is a problem in distributing it. The research method used is Research and Development (R&amp;D). To solve this problem, a decision support system must be created to assist the Dawuan District Office assess the beneficiaries' eligibility. The Composite Performance Index (CPI) method is needed to determine the provision of CBD assistance by using the criteria of income, housing conditions, education, and environment in the calculation. Each criterion's data from each alternative is weighted and summed to get the CPI value and used for ranking. Based on the results of system testing, the data from the calculation of the CPI method can be used as recommendations that follow the eligibility level of the beneficiaries. The most considerable CPI value is 285 on behalf of Mr. Sarip, who first prioritizes getting assistance from the CBD program. The second priority is on behalf of Mr. Budi, who has a CPI score of 265, to be the following reference as a recipient of assistance from the CBD program.

The economic impact and role of health communication in the economic recovery of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Indonesia

Tuberculosis (TB) patients suffer physically and bear the economic burden as many patients cannot work or generate income when ill. Concerning this issue, health communication plays a role in addressing the economic impact through advocacy strategies. This study aims to analyze how the economic impact and health communication advocacy conducted by Aisyiyah and Terjang NGOs contribute to TB patients' economic recovery in Bandung. This research adopts a cross-sectional approach involving data collection at a specific point in time. The findings indicate that the average percentage of patients who are the primary breadwinners of the family is 44.33%, patients who have lost their jobs is 82.33%, patients with loans is 38.67%, patients selling property is 55.67%, patients receiving government assistance is 68.33%, patients receiving assistance from private institutions is 21%, patients receiving assistance from family is 78%, and the median value of aid in the last three months is 21.83 USD. Aisyiyah and Terjang provide information on treatment costs, skills training, access to social support programs, and awareness of stigma and discrimination among TB patients. Terjang also provides legal assistance to patients who experience discrimination. This health communication advocacy can enhance social and economic support for TB patients and their families.

Social Determinant of Health Impact on Diabetes Device Use and Clinical Outcomes in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

Background. Youth with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) who are Black, Hispanic, or lower socioeconomic status (SES) have lower rates of diabetes device use, higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and higher rates of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, the associations of individual-level social determinants of health (SDoH) and neighborhood-level factors with device use and clinical outcomes are unknown. Area deprivation index (ADI) is a neighborhood level measure of SES reported in deciles (range 1–10 with 10 representing most deprived neighborhood). Methods. We evaluated the association of ADI and other SDoH factors with pump/continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use, HbA1c, and DKA in 1,461 youth with T1D (50% female, age 12.8 ± 3.6 years, HbA1c 8.7 ± 2.1%, 52% pump, 70% CGM) seen between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021 at a large pediatric diabetes center. Multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine statistically significant associations adjusting for potential confounders. Results. Youth were less likely to use an insulin pump if they lived in a higher ADI neighborhood, were Black or Hispanic, had Medicaid or were uninsured, or received government assistance (e.g., Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program). Youth were less likely to use a CGM if they lived in a higher ADI neighborhood, were Black or Hispanic, had Medicaid or were uninsured. Youth had higher risk of DKA event in the past year if they used government assistance, whereas pump and CGM use were associated with lower DKA risk. HbA1c (%) increased by 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.13) per unit increase in ADI. HbA1c was 0.62 lower (95% CI: −0.82, −0.42) in pump users vs. nonusers and 0.78 lower (95% CI: −0.99, −0.56) in CGM users vs. nonusers. Conclusions. Interventions that tailor care plans to address SDoH in families living in deprived neighborhoods may be needed to increase successful technology uptake, optimize HbA1c, and prevent DKA.

Political Underrepresentation Among Public Benefits Recipients: Evidence from Linked Administrative Data

People receiving government assistance have personal stakes in the political process and intimate knowledge of policy implementation. However, data limitations have made it hard to measure voting among those receiving assistance across various programs. Using linked administrative data from a large county in Pennsylvania, merged with the Pennsylvania voter file, we calculate voting rates among benefits recipients. We find that people receiving means-tested benefits (cash assistance, food assistance, health insurance, disability benefits, childcare, and housing) vote at just over half the rate of other county residents (45% compared with 84% in 2020). In the 2020 election, public benefits recipients comprised over 20% of the voting-eligible population but only 12% of voters. To the extent that benefits recipients are more supportive of generous welfare policy than nonrecipients and more familiar with administrative burdens programs impose, this underrepresentation may obscure popular preferences for social welfare provision and shape politicians’ attentiveness to program design.

The policy acknowledgement gap: Explaining (mis)perceptions of government social program use

AbstractNearly, all Americans have received social policy benefits, yet many do not acknowledge “using government social programs.” Why? Work on the submerged state proposes that people who receive social assistance through market mechanisms do not realize that the benefits they get are the result of government policy, and therefore, they do not acknowledge receiving government assistance. Others point to motivated reasoning or social desirability bias to explain the gap between acknowledging and using social programs. We classify the existing literature into three broad explanations—delivery, definition, and desirability—and propose that each may be responsible for people's inability to accurately report using government social programs. We test these mechanisms with original survey experiments. The results of this study provide support for the theory that multiple mechanisms are at work in shaping social policy acknowledgment, but they confirm that a partisan acknowledgement gap exists across a variety of conditions, and it persists despite treatments designed to minimize it. The study has significant implications for the conditions under which partisanship and policy usage coalesce to undermine support for government social expenditures, and it helps to explain the persistence of a “makers vs. takers” logic in American politics.

The welfare implications of COVID‐19 for fragile and conflict‐affected regions

AbstractUnderstanding the ramifications of the COVID‐19 pandemic for households' welfare in regions subject to fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) is important to inform programs and policies in this context. Harmonized data from high‐frequency phone surveys indicates that, at the onset of the pandemic, a higher fraction of respondents in FCV regions relative to non‐FCV ones faced adverse household income changes and reported to have stopped working since the outbreak of the crisis. On top of that, households in FCV regions were far less likely to have received government assistance than those in non‐FCV regions. These findings suggest that, at the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic, there was a widening of the preexisting economic gap between FCV and non‐FCV regions, raising the recovery bar for the former.

1147-P: Disparities in Insulin Pump and CGM Use in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

Youth with T1D of underrepresented race/ethnicity (URE) have lower pump/CGM use, higher A1c, and greater DKA risk; however, the correlation of social determinants of health (SDoH) and neighborhood-level factors to pump/CGM use and clinical outcomes are unknown. In this study, multivariable models were used to evaluate the association of race/ethnicity, SDoH factors, and area deprivation index (ADI, range 1-10 with 10 being most deprived neighborhood) with pump/CGM use, A1c, and DKA in 1,461 T1D youth (50% F, age 12.8 ± 3.6 yrs, A1c 8.7 ± 2.1%, 52% pump, 70% CGM) seen over a 1-yr period. Youth were less likely to use a pump if they were Black or Hispanic, had Medicaid or were uninsured, received government assistance (i.e., SSI, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), WIC, SNAP), or lived in a higher ADI neighborhood. Youth were less likely to use CGM if they were Black or Hispanic, had Medicaid or were uninsured, or lived in a higher ADI neighborhood. Youth had higher DKA risk in the past year if they lived in a higher ADI neighborhood or had government assistance; however, pump and CGM use were associated with lower DKA risk (Figure 1). For every 1 unit increase in ADI, A1c increased by 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.13). A1c was 0.62 lower (95% CI: -0.82, -0.42) in pump users vs. not and 0.78 lower (95% CI: -0.99, -0.56) in CGM users vs. not. Advocacy efforts and QI projects promoting technology use in T1D youth of URE and lower SES may improve A1c and decrease risk of DKA. Disclosure E.R.Crain: None. R.Ramphul: None. A.Butler: None. X.C.Huang: None. C.G.Minard: None. M.J.Redondo: None. D.Desalvo: Consultant; Dexcom, Inc., Research Support; Insulet Corporation.

Does COVID-19 pandemic spur digital business transformation? Evidence from selected MENA countries

PurposeIn the light of high reliance on digital technology to mitigate the consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its containment measures, this study investigates the factors influencing firms' decision to adopt digital technologies during COVID-19 in four Middle East and Northern African (MENA) countries, namely, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the International Labour Organization (ILO)/Economic Research Forum (ERF) COVID-19 - MENA Monitor Enterprise Survey (CMMENT), comprising 5,480 firms, surveyed during 2020–2021. The empirical model is estimated using the linear probability model (LPM) to address the problem of unobserved heterogeneity between firms, countries, and time.FindingsThe results revealed that firm characteristics, such as firm size and foreign ownership, encourage digital transformation in the business sector. Moreover, firms that face challenges during the pandemic, comply with the containment measures, and receive government assistance are more likely to adopt digital solutions. Furthermore, the results indicated that firms operating in services sector have a higher likelihood to adopt digital technology. Disaggregating the total sample into several sub-samples, the results are robust across countries and technology types, supporting the initial hypothesis that COVID-19 encourages digital transformation in the MENA region.Originality/valueThe study has numerous contributions. First, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the sole study that uses micro data collected during the COVID-19 to examine the factors influencing firms' decision to adopt and invest in digital solutions in the MENA countries. Second, the paper employs the LPM estimator to address the issue of unobserved heterogeneity between firms, countries and time. Finally, the paper offers some practical recommendations for accelerating digital transformation in MENA region.

Government assistance and family charitable giving: Comparing urban and rural residents in China

AbstractUsing data from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies, this paper examines the relationship between government assistance, urban/rural residency, and charitable giving. The results indicate that urban/rural residency moderates the relationship between government assistance and charitable giving in China. Urban residents who do not receive government assistance are much more likely to donate to charity than their rural counterparts. While urban residents with government assistance also show a higher likelihood of giving than government assistance recipients in the rural area, the difference is much smaller than that between the urban and rural non‐recipients. More interestingly, the results show that although urban residents without government assistance donate more to charity, those who receive a high amount of government assistance on average donate less to charity than their rural counterparts.

Financial Behaviors, Government Assistance, and Financial Satisfaction.

Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this study examined the relationships between poor financial behaviors, receiving government assistance, and financial satisfaction while accounting for adverse financial experiences. The logistic regression results showed that both poor financial behaviors and adverse financial experiences increased the likelihood of receiving government assistance. The OLS results indicated that receiving government assistance significantly increased levels of financial satisfaction, whereas poor financial behaviors significantly decreased levels of financial satisfaction. While the magnitude of these associations for both receiving government assistance and poor financial behaviors was small, adverse financial experiences had a stronger influence on the levels of financial satisfaction. When we combined poor financial behaviors and receiving government assistance into a categorical variable, we gained additional insights into the connections between these constructs that warrants further research.

Businessman household economic resilience with maqashid sharia approach in pandemic Covid-19

This study wants to examine the economic resilience of business households with the maqashid sharia approach during the covid-19 pandemic. This research uses the mix-method method. Quantitative methods are used to analyze financial planning on household resilience with the maqashid sharia approach. The qualitative method used to determine the business resilience strategy is interviewing. The results showed that all independent variables affected the household business's economic resilience with the maqashid sharia approach. The results also show that the expenditure is smaller than the income received by making a priority scale. There are other sources of income to cover needs. Most of the respondents did not receive assistance from the government, while those who received government assistance were used to meet their needs. There is no business assistance to survive the pandemic, and respondents also want to avoid taking out loans to develop their businesses. Most of the respondents use maqashid sharia (priority scale) to survive.

Peran Pemerintahan Nagari dalam Proses Pelaksanaan Subsidi Listrik Tepat Sasaran (SLTS) di Nagari Kasang Kecamatan Batang Anai Kabupaten Padang Pariaman

This article aims to describe the role of the Nagari Government in the Implementation of Targeted Electricity Subsidies (SLTS) in Nagari Kasang, Batang Anai District, Padang Pariaman Regency. This study used qualitative research method. Data were obtained from informants through observation, interviews and documentation studies. The validity of the data was tested by means of triangulation of sources. The findings of this study indicate that the Nagari Government has a role in the distribution process of the Targeted Electricity Subsidy (SLTS) in Nagari Kasang. This role can be seen from the process of collecting data on residents who are entitled to receive subsidies, to receiving citizen complaints regarding electricity subsidies. The researcher's findings also show that in the process of implementing the Targeted Electricity Subsidy (SLTS), there are still several obstacles. These obstacles include the lack of socialization regarding electricity subsidies to the community, the existence of poor people who have not received electricity subsidies because of the rule that subsidies can only be given to residents who have previously received government assistance, there is still discrimination in the provision of electricity subsidies to residents, until there is no complaint post for electricity subsidy.

Individual and Community-Level Characteristics and Adherence to Specialty Medications

Background: Understanding risk factors for nonadherence can help specialty pharmacies optimize resources to prevent nonadherence and inform risk-stratification processes. Objective: To determine which individual and community-level characteristics are associated with nonadherence to specialty medications. Methods: We analyzed a cohort of patients enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial having filled a specialty medication at least 4 times in the previous 12 months with a proportion of days (PDC) covered < 0.90. We collected patient age, gender, race, medication administration type, therapy start date, home address, insurance type, and online patient portal status from the electronic health record. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to assess the association of nonadherence with individual and community-level patient characteristics. Results: Most patients were female (68%), white (82%), and held commercial insurance (58%) with a median age of 53 (interquartile range [IQR] 40, 64) years. Patients were mostly from the adult rheumatology (35%), multiple sclerosis (20%) and lipid (17%) clinics. Given a 10-year increase in age, patients had lower odds of having lower PDC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.71-0.94, P = 0.005). Patients on therapy greater than or equal to 1 year had half the odds of having lower PDC relative to patients on therapy less than 1 year (OR = 0.52, CI = 0.35 – 0.75, P < 0.001). No statistically significant associations were found between PDC and gender, race, insurance type, route of administration, clinic type, patient portal status, median income, percent receiving government assistance, or percent with no health insurance. Conclusion: Patients with younger age and shorter duration on treatment may be at-risk for lower adherence. Specialty pharmacies may benefit from targeting adherence interventions to these groups.

Analysis of the Transition from Field Rice Farming to Cassava Farming through a Land Optimization Development Program in Eelahaji Village Kulisusu District Buton Utara Regency

This study aims to determine why farmers switch farming from field rice to cassava and determine the income difference between upland rice and cassava farming in Eelahaji Village, Kulisusu District, North Buton Regency. The study was conducted in Eelahaji Village, Kulisusu Subdistrict, North Buton Regency, in November 2021. The research population was all farmers receiving government assistance from the land optimization development program and 35 farmers who changed their farms. In contrast, the research sample was determined using the census method. The type and origin of the data used are primary and secondary data. Collecting data using the method of observation, interviews, and documentation. The research variables include income, cooperation of farmers in groups, farming habits, labor, production, costs, prices, and revenues. Analysis of the data used to answer the research objectives is descriptive analysis. The results of the study share that the reason for farmers to switch their farming is that the economic aspect uses a percentage (25%) in the form of 25% income and the social aspect with a percentage of 75% in the form of farmer cooperation in groups (25%), farming habits (25%) and labor ( 25%). The income of upland rice farming is on average IDR2,285,886/ha/year, while the income of cassava farming is on average IDR12,858,857/ha/year. Thus, it can be seen that there is a significant difference between the income of upland rice farming and cassava farming.

Coverage of social assistance in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a time-to-event analysis

ObjectiveIn a pandemic, government assistance is essential to support the most vulnerable households as they face health and economic challenges. However, government assistance is effective only when it reaches vulnerable...

Does Receiving Government Assistance Shape Political Attitudes? Evidence from Agricultural Producers

When individuals receive benefits from government programs, does it affect their attitudes toward those programs or toward government generally? A growing literature blends policy feedback theory and political behavior research to explore these questions, but so far it has focused almost exclusively on social policies such as the Affordable Care Act. In this article, we focus on a very different set of government programs that reach a more conservative, rural population: agricultural assistance. Our study ties administrative records on participation in USDA farm aid programs to an original, first-of-its-kind survey measuring agricultural producers’ political attitudes. We find that receiving agricultural assistance is sometimes related to producers’ views of the program delivering the benefits, but it depends on the divisiveness of the program and—for highly partisan programs—recipients’ ideology. However, receiving federal agricultural assistance is not associated with more positive views of government.

Factors Associated With Bullying Victimization and Bullying Perpetration in Children and Adolescents With ADHD: 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health

Objective: To identify characteristics associated with bullying involvement in pediatric ADHD. Methods: Data from the 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health for children aged 6 to 17 years with ADHD were evaluated to assess the association between parent-reported bullying victimization or perpetration and the following potential predictors: demographic characteristics, family factors, school factors, and child conditions/behaviors. Results: Among children with ADHD, 46.9% were bullying victims and 16.2% were perpetrators. Factors associated with victimization included having family financial strain, developmental delay or intellectual disability, friendship difficulties, and school reports about problems. Factors linked to perpetration included being male, receiving government assistance, lack of school engagement, school reports about problems, and having difficulties with friendships, staying calm, and arguing. Conclusions: Children with ADHD frequently were bullying victims and sometimes bullying perpetrators. Factors related to family financial strain, developmental disabilities, emotional regulation, peer relationships, and school functioning may help to identify risk for bullying and opportunities for anti-bullying interventions.

Development and Feasibility Testing of CATCH Healthy Smiles, an Oral Health Promotion Intervention for Prevention of Dental Caries Among Elementary School Children.

We present results of the development and feasibility testing of CATCH Healthy Smiles, a school-based oral health program, among children in grades K-2 in Houston, Texas. Study design was cross-sectional (N = 2 schools; N = 125 parent-child dyads; 31 kindergarteners, 42 first graders, and 52 second graders). CATCH Healthy Smiles program was implemented by trained school teachers in the 2016-2017 school year. Trained dentists conducted dental assessments to measure dental caries increment score (d3mfs). Parent-reported 24-hour dietary recalls and surveys assessed child and parent behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial factors. Logistic regression analysis assessed factors associated with caries experience adjusting for covariates. Of the 113 children with complete dental assessments, 54% children in grade K, 62% in first grade, and 73% in second grade had caries experience. Children with caries experience had a higher body weight (AdjOR = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.29), were less likely to be girls (AdjOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05-0.82), had greater odds of difficulty drinking hot or cold beverages because of dental problems (AdjOR = 13.13, 95% CI: 1.09-275.14), greater frequency of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (AdjOR = 11.53, 95% CI: 2.10-87.19), greater odds of receiving government assistance (AdjOR = 14.62, 95% CI: 2.74-119.81), and lower odds of seeing a dental provider (AdjOR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.45). Process evaluation showed that 100% of the CATCH Healthy Smiles lessons and activities were taught in the two schools with a high degree of program fidelity and acceptability across the schools, children, and parents. These data will be used to conduct a subsequent fully powered cluster randomized controlled trial.