Social Safety Research Articles

Impact of productive social safety net on households' vulnerability to poverty in Tanzania.

Social safety nets are expanding in Sub-Saharan Africa. While proponents perceive them as a means to combat poverty and vulnerability, opponents view them as wasteful use of scarce public resources and do not significantly overcome poverty. Previous studies have primarily focused on assessing the impact of these policies on current poverty levels, with insufficient evidence available regarding their impact on future poverty, which deserves equal attention. We drew on the Tanzanian 2017-18 Household Budget Survey, comprising 9,463 households to evaluate the impact of productive social safety net (PSSN) program on households' vulnerability to poverty (VP). The VP was evaluated using vulnerability as expected poverty (VEP), whereas the impact was estimated using Instrumental Variable (IV) method. We found that PSSN reduces household VP by 13.4%, suggesting that it is an effective policy instrument for reducing poverty and vulnerability. Notably, the estimated impacts were greater for households enrolled in conditional cash transfer (CCT) and public work (PW) combined, suggesting that a package of CCT and PW is likely to have a more substantial impact within the realm of social safety nets. Our findings offer evidence in favor of policies that promote the broader expansion of social safety nets as anti-poverty policy instruments.

Healthcare services access challenges and determinants among persons with disabilities in Bangladesh

Persons with disabilities in LMICs facing numerous challenges in accessing essential healthcare services. However, this understanding is lacking so far in LMICs and Bangladesh. This study aimed to explore the pattern and determinants of healthcare services access among persons with disabilities in Bangladesh. We analysed data from 4293 persons with disabilities extracted from the 2021 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities. The outcome variable was healthcare services access within three months of the survey, categorized as either “yes” or “no” based on perceived needs. Several individual, household, and community-level factors were considered as explanatory variables. We utilized a multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model to explore the association of the outcome variable with explanatory variables. The analysis included stratification by age groups: 0–17 years and 18–95 years. One out of every four persons with disabilities in Bangladesh reported that they could not access healthcare services based on their needs within three months of the survey. The main reasons for not accessing services were healthcare costs (52.10%), followed by lack of family support (27.0%), and absence of healthcare facilities in their areas of residence (10.10%). Among those who did receive healthcare services, the majority reported accessing them from governmental hospitals (26.49%), followed by village practitioner (20.52%), and private healthcare centres (19.87%). There was a higher likelihood of accessing healthcare services among persons with disabilities residing in households with higher wealth quintiles and living in the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions. Unmarried or divorced/widowed/separated persons with disabilities reported lower likelihoods of accessing healthcare services. The findings of this study emphasize the need for policies and programs to ensure healthcare services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh. This entails raising awareness about the importance of providing healthcare services for this demographic, as well as considering healthcare services as part of social safety net programs.

Parental perceptions of neighborhood safety and preschool children's outdoor play: An exploration of sex and safety type differences

Despite the growing evidence on the influence of neighborhood safety on physical activity, few studies have specifically focused on preschool-aged children and differentiated the various domains of neighborhood safety. This study investigates the relationship between parental perceptions of neighborhood safety and preschool children's time spent outdoors and explores potential sex differences in this relationship. This study analyzed nationally representative data from 1656 Korean children (848 boys and 808 girls) aged 3, 5, 6 years collected over the course of three waves of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). Outdoor playtime was measured by maternal reports of the time their children spent playing outdoors on a typical weekday. Parental perceptions of neighborhood safety were assessed using two items that inquired about neighborhood safety in terms of crime and accidents, respectively. Fixed effects estimates revealed that parental perceptions of social safety were associated with an increase in children's outdoor physical activity (b = 3.778, p < 0.05), whereas perceptions of physical safety were not. Sex-stratified models showed that the association between parental perceptions of social safety and children's outdoor play was driven largely by boys (b = 8.498, p < 0.001), with no association observed for girls. The findings of this study underscore the importance of addressing the social safety of neighborhood environments to promote outdoor play in preschool children. Moreover, sex differences should be considered when developing interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among young children.

Determinants of household resilience to food insecurity: A case of rural northern Ethiopia by using the RIMA approach

An ongoing and global agenda is the food security policy debate in rural Ethiopia of households to enhance resilience at the individual and household level for tackling food insecurity. Therefore, this study investigated determinants of household resilience to food insecurity in rural dwellers of Mekiet District. A cross-sectional research design was conducted in two agro ecological zones of the Mekiet district, lowland, and midland, involving 228 respondents. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative approach, with multi-stage sampling techniques results employed to select sample households by using two-stage factor analysis. The result from factor analysis using the RIMA approach showed that the latent variables of adaptive capacity, asset, and social safety net have a positive value of (0.76), (0.51), and (0.77), respectively, and in the contrast, access to essential services has a negative load of (-0.61), and all variables were found to be statistically significant. All those loads were significant, with an absolute value of factor loadings greater than 0.364, which is recommended for a sample size of 200 and above. Those variables were also highly correlated with resilience capacity. The study recommended that resilience programs should be implemented at district, community, and household levels to enhance resilience to food insecurity.

Exploring the Interplay of Social Safety Nets, Race, Ethnicity, and Nativity on Psychological Distress Among Low-Income Mothers.

Low-income mothers face numerous challenges that increase their vulnerability to psychological distress. Their perceived or actual difficulty in accessing vital support networks, whether public or private, can significantly amplify this distress. Socially assigned identities, such as nativity, ethnicity, and race, intersect with socioeconomic factors, influencing mental health outcomes. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, our research investigated the impact of public and private safety nets on maternal psychological health. We found that, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors, non-Hispanic, US-born White mothers experienced higher levels of psychological distress compared to minoritized mothers. The role of safety nets varied by race and ethnicity, with private safety nets providing unique protection to Black and Hispanic mothers, while support was associated with increased distress only among White mothers. These findings highlight the need to consider sociocultural history when assessing safety net impacts on mental health.

Crisis management: pathways to crisis pregnancy centers

ABSTRACT Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) provide social support, material aid, and counseling against abortion. We evaluated the perspectives of CPC clients to understand how they found the CPC that they attended for services. In 2019, we conducted in-depth interviews with 21 clients of 10 CPCs in Ohio, who were recruited from the CPC (n = 9) or an abortion clinic (n = 12), to understand their experiences attending the center. This analysis focused on the ways in which pregnant people end up as clients at a CPC seeking assistance instead of attending another setting, such as a medical center. We identified two pathways through which clients find CPCs. First, in the internet pathway, clients needing abortion services found CPCs via internet search for pregnancy symptoms, abortion care, or ultrasound services. Second, in the social safety network pathway, clients needing material aid found CPCs through recommendations from trusted others and due to the proximity of CPCs to their homes. Structural conditions influence the pathways clients pursue, such as the need for healthcare services and material aid. Future research should further explore the demographics of those who attend CPCs and motivations for attendance.

Safer Sexting Strategies in Technology-Mediated Sexual Interactions: Findings from a National Study

Abstract Introduction While there is extensive research on safer sex, few studies have investigated safer sexting practices. The main objective of this study is to examine the range of security behaviors that individuals adopt in technology-mediated sexual interactions. Methods Three studies collected data on social safety, concealment strategies, and technical security in technology-mediated sexual interactions from participants aged 14–75 in Austria and Germany in 2020 and 2022 (Ntotal = 13,070). Patterns in the data were identified via descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results The most common precautions of people who used safer sexting strategies were hiding one’s face (46%), only engaging with digital sex partners that are personally known (41%), and negotiating boundaries of consensual sexting (29%). Binomial regression results show that a sexual minority identity, BDSM preference, frequent contact with sexual communities, and prior experiences of unwanted sexting were associated with adopting a wider variety of safer sexting practices. Conclusions The results suggest that the safety strategies used in technology-mediated sexual interactions vary across social groups. Social context factors such as community involvement are associated with the likelihood of safer sexting. Policy Implications Knowledge about safer sexting helps minimize harm in technology-mediated sexual interactions. Safer sexting messages aimed at reducing risk and shame should be included as part of community-based safer sexting education and should be tailored to specific target groups including LGBTIQA+ individuals. Policymakers should support interventions that enhance those social environmental factors that contribute to building trust and consent in technology-mediated sexual interactions.

Evaluation of Maturity in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Risks Mitigation and Safety Climate in the Oil and Gas Company, Bojonegoro

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has become a rapidly growing instrument worldwide, driven by commitments to enhance environmentally sustainable economic growth as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Companies in Indonesia are increasingly emphasizing the importance of ESG in their business activities due to the potential impact on the environment and society, including the oil and gas companies. Environmental and social risks can affect the sustainability of a company, while safety climate plays a role in the safety and well-being of workers. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach. It also used NOSACQ-50 questionnaires to assess the safety climate and identify environmental and social management system (ESMS) elements using the toolkit from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) at the Bojonegoro oil and gas company. The result of the ESMS IFC matrix concludes that the maturity of Bojonegoro’s oil and gas company in mitigating ESG risks needs to be more prepared to mitigate ESG risks as preparation progresses towards optimal operations, whilst the safety climate has an average score of 3.40, which means that the safety climate can be maintained and developed.

Role of Gig Economy Participation in Shaping Worker Economic Security in Indonesia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of gig economy participation in shaping worker economic security in Indonesia. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In Indonesia, gig economy participation offers flexibility and additional income, aiding financial stability for many workers. However, it also introduces challenges such as income instability, lack of social protections, and limited access to benefits. This situation can lead to significant economic insecurity, especially during downturns. While gig work provides opportunities, it highlights the need for enhanced labor policies and social protections to improve economic security for gig workers. Policymakers should address these issues to better integrate gig workers into social safety nets and ensure fair labor practices. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Theory of job demands-resources (JD-R), social protection theory &amp; human capital theory may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the gender inequality in the workplace in Japan. Employers and gig platforms should create and integrate financial planning tools and resources specifically designed for gig workers. To address the economic insecurity faced by gig workers, policymakers should implement portable benefits systems that can be carried across various gig jobs.

Getting out and giving back: repertoires of destigmatization in the private social safety net

Abstract Receiving assistance can be stigmatizing. As the cash welfare rolls have fallen to near-historic lows, the privatization of the social safety net in many states has brought up new questions about how recipients of assistance meet their material needs without sacrificing their sense of dignity. I draw on 15 months of ethnographic observation and 44 interviews with social service recipients in two majority Black neighborhoods in Houston, Texas to explore how they destigmatize their encounters with social service providers. I find that service recipients primarily seek out organizations that will treat them with respect due to the stigma attached to receiving assistance. This stigma is both racialized and gendered, such that groups with identities congruent with negative stereotypes about welfare recipients—like Black women—see themselves at higher risk of stigmatization and therefore practice destigmatization strategies with greater frequency. I build on these findings by highlighting two repertoires of destigmatization that service recipients draw upon to access both material and symbolic resources simultaneously: getting out of their neighborhoods to receive services anonymously and giving back by volunteering at local organizations. In doing so, I highlight multiple pathways through which residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods move from stigmatization to destigmatization in the welfare system.

Maternal Malnutrition and Its Associated Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Childbirth in Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan

Background: Maternal malnutrition poses serious risks to both mother and child, contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as anemia, pre-eclampsia, and low birth weight. Addressing maternal malnutrition is essential for promoting healthy pregnancies and favorable birth outcomes. Methodology: The study involved 660 third-trimester pregnant women at a tertiary care hospital in Dadu district, Sindh, Pakistan. The aim was to identify the association patterns of maternal nutrition on birth outcomes to inform future programming. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach with a snowballing technique. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using R-Studio and Canvas software to analyze associations and differences related to maternal nutrition. Results: The majority of rural participants (84%) intended to deliver at DHQ Dadu, with 81% facing inconsistent family income sources, impacting food security and healthcare access. Maternal education positively correlated with healthcare service utilization, while maternal counseling had a weaker influence. Early pregnancies were prevalent, with 29% of women reporting their first pregnancy before age 20 and 6.7% before age 16. Iron and folic acid utilization was suboptimal (20.4%), and access to healthcare was hindered by distance, cost, and inconsistent coverage, particularly in rural areas. Maternal malnutrition was a significant concern, with 15.4% identified as acutely malnourished. Conclusion: The study highlights significant challenges, including socioeconomic disparities, early pregnancies, inadequate healthcare access, and poor maternal nutrition status. Targeted interventions such as improving healthcare infrastructure, enhancing maternal education, promoting early prenatal care, strengthening community-based nutrition programs, and leveraging social safety net programs can help mitigate adverse birth outcomes.

Impact of productive social safety net on households’ vulnerability to food insecurity in Tanzania

Impact of productive social safety net on households’ vulnerability to food insecurity in Tanzania

The Effectiveness of Social Safety Nets in Reducing Extreme Poverty

The Effectiveness of Social Safety Nets in Reducing Extreme Poverty

Delivery platforms for reaching adolescents with nutrition interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a vulnerable population given increased nutritional needs as puberty approaches. School-based nutrition programs exist in some settings, but the comprehensive provision of nutrition services requires knowledge of the mechanisms to reach out-of-school adolescents. A comprehensive scopingreview was performed using formal and informal search strategies to landscape all potential delivery platforms with nutrition services to reach adolescents. Peer-reviewed studies, institutional strategies, program evaluations, and programmatic reports in LMICs were reviewed, including gray literature. A total of 87 out of 270 identified publications and reports describing nutrition programs for adolescents were identified. Although nutrition programs targeted at adolescents were sparse, various innovative and inclusive delivery platforms were included, such as school feeding programs, school-based anemia control, and nutrition-friendly school initiatives; health facility-based, youth-friendly health and nutrition services; social safety nets targeted at adolescents; community-based approaches targeting youth development and peer education within youth centers and faith-based settings; and technology-based platforms, including digital health services and mass media communication sensitization and mobilization efforts. Existing delivery mechanisms and platforms in health and other sectors that target adolescents offer great potential to extend nutrition interventions to this vulnerable yet hard-to-reach population.

Assessing livelihood dependency on forestry products during COVID-19 period

Background: The importance of forest in improving human welfare is recognized worldwide. Both natural and artificial forests provide basic needs such as fuel wood, timber, industrial wood and non-timber products. They also provide employment, income and foreign exchange hence contributing to social and economic development. Equally important are the environmental benefits of forest. But as covid 19 came people lost their job, their movement was restricted as a result an increase dependency on forest products for survival increases in developing countries. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to unearth impacts of covid 19 has on the forest products of people living around zomba plateau forest reserve. The general objective of the study is to assess livelihood dependency on forest product during covid 19 period. Method: Specifically, the study will identify and assess which forest products were frequently accessed during covid 19 and analyze the contribution of forest products on household income during the pandemic period. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used to collect data. The target population for the study consisted of residents of Mtendere village. The sample size was 59. Data were collected using self- administered questionnaire and interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and excel package respectively. Result: The results of the study indicate that there was an increase dependency of forest products during covid 19 period and such that the contribution the contribution of forest products to household income dwindles during this period. Conclusion: The study further recommends to build the resilience of forest- dependent communities to future shocks and crises. This can be achieved through the implementation of social safety nets, or savings and credit programs. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on community dependence on forest products and finds changes in forest resource use patterns during the pandemic. It provides new insights into the resilience of forest-dependent communities in the face of global crises. It offers practical recommendations for building community resilience through social safety nets and credit savings programs.

The Youth Inner Mission and the Soli Deo Gloria

From the 19th century, as a parallel field of foreign missionary work, the Hungarian inner mission followed Western (English, German) models and established associations to revive the stagnating religious life and to help those less fortunate in a miserable situation. The urbanisation of the period affected greatly the families moving to the capital, where some of them had become disconnected from their church roots, and the lack of a social safety net led to a high level of poverty and the moral decay that accompanied it. In the first half of my study, I looked at the beginnings of the Hungarian inner mission and then I wrote about evangelising and educating associations for youth and children, such as the Protestant Orphans’ Association, the Sunday School Association and the Christian Youth Association, which was modelled on the YMCA. In the second part, I discussed the social and faith-based activities of the specifically Hungarian Reformed Soli Deo Gloria Student Movement. Keywords: inner mission, youth ministry, Reformed Church, SDG, communism

Decomposing socioeconomic inequality in household out of pocket health expenditures in Pakistan (2010-11–2018-19)

BackgroundThe increased socioeconomic inequality in catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations, subjecting them to financial hardships, limiting their access to healthcare, and exacerbating their vulnerability to morbidity.ObjectivesThis study examines changes in socioeconomic inequality related to CHE and analyzes the contributing factors responsible for these changes in Pakistan between 2010-11 and 2018-19.MethodsThis paper extracted the data on out-of-pocket health expenditures from the National Health Accounts for 2009-10 and 2017-18. Sociodemographic information was gathered from the Household Integrated Economic Surveys of 2010-11 and 2018-19. CHE was calculated using budget share and the ability-to-pay approaches. To assess socioeconomic inequality in CHE in 2010-11 and 2018-19, both generalized and standard concentration indices were used, and Wagstaff inequality decomposition analysis was employed to explore the causes of socioeconomic inequality in each year. Further, an Oaxaca-type decomposition was applied to assess changes in socioeconomic inequality in CHE over time.ResultsThe concentration index reveals that socioeconomic inequality in CHE decreased in 2018-19 compared to 2010-11 in Pakistan. Despite the reduction in inequality, CHE was concentrated among the poor in Pakistan in 2010-11 and 2018-19. The inequality decomposition analysis revealed that wealth status was the main cause of inequality in CHE over time. The upper wealth quantiles indicated a positive contribution, whereas lower quantiles showed a negative contribution to inequality in CHE. Furthermore, urban residence contributed to pro-rich inequality, whereas employed household heads, private healthcare provider, and inpatient healthcare utilization contributed to pro-poor inequality. A noticeable decline in socioeconomic inequality in CHE was observed between 2010 and 2018. However, inequality remained predominantly concentrated among the lower socio-economic strata.ConclusionThese results underscore the need to improve the outreach of subsidized healthcare and expand social safety nets.

Evolving Dynamics of Higher Education Institutions and Their Cities (1980-2020)

This research examines the significance of higher education institutions (HEIs) as anchors in their host cities and their community engagement strategies from 1980 to 2020. By examining four case studies of urban-based universities that are members of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts, this study analyzes the impact of anchor strategies on local communities, economic growth, and urban revitalization. Two public institutions—Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N) and the University of Pretoria (Mamelodi Campus, South Africa)—and two private institutions—Syracuse University (S.U.) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)—comprise the four selected institutions. Comparative analysis of the case studies reveals that effective anchor strategies frequently involve multidimensional approaches that address their respective cities' social, economic, and public safety challenges. In addition, I identify the key factors contributing to the efficacy of anchor strategies, such as strong leadership, stakeholder collaboration, and maximizing the role of foundations and long-term vision. The findings of my study highlight the significance of universities as significant agents of urban change in guiding policymakers, urban planners, and higher education administrators who seek to harness the potential of universities in shaping sustainable and inclusive community engagement. My findings highlight the interplay between universities and their environments rooted in their host cities.

Record, revise, reinvent, and resist: The politics of social media self-representation during the COVID-19 pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everyday social life on a global scale, it also destabilized social norms for sharing life online and, potentially, broader understandings of selfhood and identity. This study investigates how the unique conditions of pandemic life re-colored normative practices of self-representation—the process of producing and circulating personal media texts—on popular social media platforms. Through social media scroll back interviews with 48 U.S. adults, I found that pandemic social pressures and safety regulations altered how social media users understood the politics of digital visibility—a shift in the personal experiences they considered “worthy” of sharing through digital mediation. In light of this perceived shift, I argue that participants adjusted to pandemic cultures through a typology of adaptive curatorial practices: recording, revising, reinventing, and resisting as self-representation. Ultimately, this study extends existing conceptual boundaries in response to disrupted social contexts, which includes centering digital silence as a key form of self-representation.

Vegetation increases global climate vulnerability risk by shifting climate zones in response to rising atmospheric CO2

Global climate zones are experiencing widespread shifts with ongoing rise in atmospheric CO2, influencing vegetation growth and shifting its distributions to challenge ecosystem structure and function, posing threats on ecological and societal safety. However, how rising atmospheric CO2 affects the pace of global climate zone shifts is highly uncertain. More attentions are urgently required to understand the underlying mechanisms and quantifications of regional climate vulnerability in response to rising CO2. In this study, we employ nine Earth system models from CMIP6 to investigate global climate zone shifts with rising CO2, unravel the effects of vegetation physiological response (PHY), and categorize climate vulnerable regions depending on the extent of climate zone shifts. We find that climate zone shifts over half of the global land area, 16.8% of which is contributed by PHY at 4 × CO2. Intriguingly, besides warming, PHY-induced precipitation changes and their interactions with warming dominate about two-fifths of PHY-forced shifts, providing potential direction for model improvement in future predictions of climate zone shifts. Aided with PHY effects, 4 × CO2 imposes substantial climate zone shifts over about one-fifth of the global land area, suggesting substantial changes in local climate and ecosystem structure and functions. Hence, those regions would experience strong climate vulnerability, and face high risk of climate extremes, water scarcity and food production. Our results quantitatively identify the vulnerable regions and unravel the underlying drivers, providing scientific insights to prioritize conservation and restoration efforts to ensure ecological and social safety globally.