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ABSTRACT China eradicated rural extreme poverty in 2020 after an 8‐year campaign that combined endogenous economic development involving local people with social assistance. Ethnographic research in a village in southwest China reports township officials, under‐resourced and pressed by higher tiers of government to meet the poverty‐eradication target, commissioning an entrepreneur as a policy‐broker. The latter established enterprises nominally to provide local employment, while seeking profitability from their investment. Prioritising poverty eradication over sustainability, government subsidies were employed to engineer income transfers lifting villagers out of poverty by the target date. Thereafter, transfers of income from the enterprises to impoverished people were at best irregular. The experience highlights the distorting effect of policy targets and the limits to endogenous development undertaken under time–pressure with villagers neither consulted nor benefiting from new employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-income people who receive economic support from the government hope to become self-reliant. However, their vulnerability to mental health problems and social isolation makes the process of becoming self-reliant difficult. Practitioners in the community can contact these people and help them become self-reliant. The self-reliance experiences of low-income people who receive government support is a unique psychological process that merits further attention. This study explored how low-income people who no longer receive government support in South Korea struggle to become self-reliant and return to an autonomous, ordinary citizenship by standing alone. An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was undertaken using in-depth interviews with 12 low-income people in South Korea who are currently self-reliant and no longer receive government assistance. Participants were found to be going through a four-stage process of struggling to become an ordinary citizen. These stages included: motivating, hardship, bearing, and returning. Based on these results, we suggest the substantive theory of "returning to an autonomous, ordinary citizenship by standing alone." This study provides a holistic understanding of the lived experiences of low-income people attempting to pursue self-reliance. It also explores future directions for interventions to help them maintain quality of life while retaining autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high cost of medical care and its association with poverty have given rise to a growing concern for developing countries, but how insurance plans affect household income and alleviate poverty has been rarely discussed. This study aims to bridge this research gap by examining a medical insurance reform in China, a major program of the targeted poverty alleviation (TPA) strategy, which offers higher reimbursement rates and lower medical deductibles for low‐income households. We use an administrative data set on impoverished people in a Chinese county to examine how exogenous changes in the medical insurance system affect the income structure of low‐income households. We apply a two‐part model to a Difference‐in‐Differences framework, with households that received reimbursement of the insurance reform as the treatment group and others as the control group. Our results imply that the medical insurance reform could increase the overall household income diversity. The mechanism analysis suggests that the medical insurance reform improves the health conditions of patients and encourages caregivers to engage more in off‐farm work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has shown that the use of dental care services has a significant socioeconomic gradient. Lower income groups tend to use dental care services less, and they often have poorer dental health than higher income groups. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how an increase in income affects the use of dental care services among a low-income population. Methods: The study examines the causal effect of increasing cash transfers on the use of dental care services by utilizing unique register-based data from a randomized field experiment conducted in Finland in 2017–2018. The Finnish basic income experiment introduced an exogenous increase in the income of persons who previously received basic unemployment benefits. Register-based data on the study population's use of public and private dental care services were collected both for the treatment group (N = 2,000) and the control group (N = 173,222) of the experiment over a five-year period 2015–2019: two years before, two years during, and one year after the experiment. The experiment's average treatment effect on the use of dental care services was estimated with OLS regressions. Results: The Finnish basic income experiment had no detectable effect on the overall use of dental care services. However, it decreased the probability of visiting public dental care (-2.7% points, -4.7%, p =.017) and increased the average amount of out-of-pocket spending on private care (12.1 euros, 29.8%, p =.032). The results suggest that, even in a country with a universal public dental care coverage, changes in cash transfers do affect the dental care patterns of low-income populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the sustainable development goal of "no poverty", many attempts have been made to measure poverty so that policy intervention can target the right people with the correct intensity. Since the traditional method of a unidimensional approach using monetary indicators, such as income and consumption, is now considered insufficient, a multidimensional approach has been employed using non-monetary indicators. The latter approach encompasses the different poverty aspects affecting an individual's capabilities and functioning. This study aimed to calculate multidimensional poverty in Pakistan using the Alkire & Foster method and Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data for 2018–19. To further complete the research, a binary logistic regression has been run to measure the effects of a deviation in income status on multidimensional poverty to see the impact of monetary income on non-monetary measures. Results show that the national global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is 0.24, meaning that multidimensionally poor people in Pakistan experience 24% of the total deprivations. The most deprived dimension of the three is education (44.7%), which needs special attention. Furthermore, if a household's total annual income increases and becomes more significant than the mean income of the sample, the household's probability of being multidimensionally poor will decrease. This implies that with the increase in average national income, the national poverty will reduce not only in absolute terms but also multidimensionally. This study's findings have several implications for policymakers, and the results of the MPI should align the allocation of public sector resources calculated to give a geographical and sectoral image of the poverty situation, which will guide policy designs and allocation of budget and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to investigate whether the "Big Five" personality traits modify the association between household income and life satisfaction (LF); and to evaluate the interaction and main effects of personality traits and income on LF. Data from the Dental Care and Oral Health Study (DCOHS, 2015–2016) was used for the cross-sectional study (n = 3,475). Multivariable Poisson regression models (adjusted for demographics and health behaviours) assessed the effect of personality traits (measured using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory) on the association between income and LF (measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale) using prevalence ratios (PRs). The Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI) was calculated to assess the direction of effect modification. Among low-income respondents, low LF was less prevalent in those with high personality trait scores than those with low scores. The difference in the prevalence of low LF by personality traits was greater between low versus high income for openness (11.4% vs 7.7%), agreeableness (12.3% vs 9.4%) and emotional stability (26.1% vs 20.2%) categories. The combined effects of low income and low scores for these traits on LF also exceeded the sum of their individual effects, as shown by their positive RERIs. The association between low income and low LF was modified by high openness, agreeableness and emotional stability scores. Findings suggest that psychological interventions for improving LF would be most beneficial in low-income groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction On May 9, 2016, the State of California passed a law to increase the licensing fee for tobacco retailers from a one-time-only fee of $100 to an annual fee of $265, effective on June 9, 2016. This study investigates the association between this fee increase and retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity characteristics. Methods We obtained quarterly data on the number of active tobacco retailer licenses from 2011 to 2020 in every zip code in California from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. These data were then linked to zip code-level income, race/ethnicity, and population measures. We used a single-group segmented interrupted time-series analysis to assess the association between the increase in licensing fees and retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity. Results After the implementation of the annual licensing fees, the retailer density decreased both immediately and gradually. Specifically, the retailer density dropped by 0.47 in the first quarter following the intervention. Compared to the pre-intervention time trend, the retailer density decreased quarterly by 0.05. Furthermore, the impacts of increasing licensing fees were more pronounced in low-income and the majority Black zip codes. Conclusions Given that higher smoking prevalence is associated with greater tobacco outlet density, the licensing fee increase could be an effective policy tool to reduce tobacco use among economically disadvantaged and minority Black communities, thereby addressing tobacco-use disparities. Implications This study used the single-group segmented interrupted time-series analysis to assess the association between the licensing fee increase and tobacco retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity. We found that this licensing fee increase was associated with reduced retailer densities and the total number of active retailers right after the implementation. We further found that the annual licensing fee policy had a continuous effect in reducing tobacco retailer densities in all zip codes. The impacts of increasing licensing fees were more pronounced in low-income and majority of Black zip codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to clarify whether differences in food group intake according to household income have changed over the last decade in Japanese people aged 20 years or older. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Japan. Food intake was assessed using a 1-day semi-weighed household dietary record. The participants were categorized into three groups based on their income. The mean of each food intake according to the income group was estimated by adjusting for age, occupation, and number of participants from the same household. The significance of the interaction terms between income and survey year was evaluated to assess the change in income-related differences in food intake over time. Results: Cereal intake was lower in the middle- and the highest-income groups than in the lowest-income group, regardless of sex, and the interaction between income and year was nonsignificant for cereal intake. In the former two surveys, vegetable intake was higher among the highest-income women, while in the 2018 survey, the vegetable intake decreased in the women in the middle- and the highest-income groups. The interaction between income and year was significant for vegetable intake among the women. For other foods, the differences in intake among the income groups did not significantly change over time. Conclusion: The tendency for lower cereal intake in the higher-income groups was consistent over time in both the sexes, and the tendency for higher vegetable intake in the highest income women disappeared over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, Laos faced a severe economic and fiscal crisis, resulting in high public debt, currency depreciation, and inflation. This crisis had negative impacts on the environment, economic inequality, and labor migration. The government implemented fiscal measures to mitigate the crisis, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. Despite construction projects and a tourism boom in Luang Prabang, there is disillusionment and uncertainty among the population, particularly in rural areas. The Laos-China Railway performed well, but concerns about debt to China and the social and environmental costs of infrastructure construction persist. The government is negotiating with creditors to restructure its debt and is relying on a small group of economists to address macroeconomic deficiencies. Laos also faced social problems, environmental issues, and had diverse relationships with China, Russia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The government's ability to address these challenges and discontent among the population is crucial for the country's future. The document provides a list of sources covering various aspects of Laos in 2023, including the economic crisis, debt levels, relationship with China, renewable energy, tourism, migration, land grabs, drug trade, environmental threats, and more. It also discusses Laos' role in the crisis in Myanmar and the doubts about its ability to make a significant difference. The article presents different perspectives on the matter, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved. [Extracted from the article]

In this study of middle-aged adults surveyed by NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from March 1999 to March 2020, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults had an increase in diabetes and obesity. Income-based disparities persisted after adjustment for social determinants of health. Visual Abstract. Cardiovascular Health of Middle-Aged U.S. Adults by Income Level, 1999 to March 2020: In this study of 20 761 middle-aged adults surveyed by NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from March 1999 to March 2020, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults had an increase in diabetes and obesity. Income-based disparities persisted after adjustment for social determinants of health. Background: Although cardiovascular mortality has increased among middle-aged U.S. adults since 2011, how the burden of cardiovascular risk factors has changed for this population by income level over the past 2 decades is unknown. Objective: To evaluate trends in the prevalence, treatment, and control of cardiovascular risk factors among low-income and higher-income middle-aged adults and how social determinants contribute to recent associations between income and cardiovascular health. Design: Serial cross-sectional study. Setting: NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), 1999 to March 2020. Participants: Middle-aged adults (aged 40 to 64 years). Measurements: Age-standardized prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and cigarette use; treatment rates for hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia; and rates of blood pressure, glycemic, and cholesterol control. Results: The study population included 20 761 middle-aged adults. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults between 1999 and March 2020. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension over the study period (37.2% [95% CI, 33.5% to 40.9%] to 44.7% [CI, 39.8% to 49.5%]) but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults did not have a change in hypertension but had increases in diabetes (7.8% [CI, 5.0% to 10.6%] to 14.9% [CI, 12.4% to 17.3%]) and obesity (33.0% [CI, 26.7% to 39.4%] to 44.0% [CI, 40.2% to 47.7%]). Cigarette use was high and stagnant among low-income adults (33.2% [CI, 28.4% to 38.0%] to 33.9% [CI, 29.6% to 38.3%]) but decreased among their higher-income counterparts (18.6% [CI, 13.5% to 23.7%] to 11.5% [CI, 8.7% to 14.3%]). Treatment and control rates for hypertension were unchanged in both groups (>80%), whereas diabetes treatment rates improved only among the higher-income group (58.4% [CI, 44.4% to 72.5%] to 77.4% [CI, 67.6% to 87.1%]). Income-based disparities in hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use persisted in more recent years even after adjustment for insurance coverage, health care access, and food insecurity. Limitation: Sample size limitations could preclude detection of small changes in treatment and control rates. Conclusion: Over 2 decades in the United States, hypertension increased in low-income middle-aged adults, whereas diabetes and obesity increased in their higher-income counterparts. Income-based disparities in hypertension, diabetes, and smoking persisted even after adjustment for other social determinants of health. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between socioeconomic factors and household income levels in coastal and island communities in South Sulawesi. The study finds that age, education, and occupation significantly impact family income in poor coastal communities. The research suggests targeted interventions such as free education and alternative livelihoods to reduce poverty. The text also discusses various theories on the causes of poverty, including economic underdevelopment, cultural beliefs, and structural factors. It concludes by highlighting the need to address the root causes of poverty and the limitations of poverty alleviation programs. [Extracted from the article]

Motivation: Women are especially vulnerable to not being able to cover the costs of living or meet sudden demands for funds to pay for emergencies (financial vulnerability). The COVID‐19 pandemic put additional stress on household incomes and the ability to meet emergency expenses, thus bringing into sharp relief the lack of inclusion of women in formal financial systems and the gender gaps between them and men. Purpose: How financially vulnerable are women in Latin America? What causes vulnerability? How do financial inclusion, personality traits, cognitive characteristics, and financial literacy affect financial vulnerability? Methods and approach: Using Financial Capabilities Surveys, we use regression to model the determinants of an index of financial vulnerability for eight countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. We use Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition to establish the extent to which the gender arises from the different characteristics of men and women, or from the way in which such characteristics affect groups. Findings: We find a gender gap in financial vulnerability in most of the eight countries. Individual characteristics that often explain this gap are socioeconomic, such as belonging to a low socioeconomic class and not having a regular income. In addition to gender and socioeconomic characteristics, the use of savings products, some personality traits (ability to plan, self‐control), economic preferences, and numeracy skills also drive financial vulnerability. Policy implications: Interventions to reduce financial vulnerability need, first and foremost, to address socioeconomic conditions. People on low incomes will always be financially vulnerable. In addition, programmes to expand financial inclusion and educate people on finances can help. Given the significant gender gaps, more effort must be made to reduce such gaps in education, employment, and social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable focus on predictors of attitudes towards economic inequality, there is less psychological research into attitudes towards other unequal outcomes between the rich and poor, including differences in health and life expectancy. Two studies examine whether causal attributions for these socioeconomic health inequalities predict attitudes towards them. A cross‐sectional study of 332 UK and US respondents showed that most respondents indicate a preference for some degree of income inequality but no life expectancy inequality between the richest and poorest in society. These preferences for equal life expectancy for the rich and poor were significantly less likely for respondents who viewed health inequalities to be caused by dispositional factors (e.g., self‐control, ability or effort). In a second pre‐registered cross‐sectional study (n = 602), dispositional attributions negatively predicted self‐reported concern about health inequality, whilst endorsing situational attributions (e.g., discrimination and prejudice, wages) was positively associated with concerns on this issue. Moreover, situational attributions positively predicted support for six policy proposals for reducing health inequality, while dispositional attributions were associated with increased support for some of these interventions and decreased support for others. Despite very distinct distribution preferences for income and life expectancy outcomes, causal attributions continue to predict attitudes towards health inequality and associated policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The economic burden of traumatic injuries forces families into difficult tradeoffs between healthcare and nutrition, particularly among those with a low income. However, the epidemiology of food insecurity among individuals reporting having experienced fractures is not well understood. Questions/purposes: (1) Do individuals in the National Health Interview Survey reporting having experienced fractures also report food insecurity more frequently than individuals in the general population? (2) Are specific factors associated with a higher risk of food insecurity in patients with fractures? Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Interview Survey was conducted to identify patients who reported a fracture within 3 months before survey completion. The National Health Interview Survey is an annual serial, cross-sectional survey administered by the United States Centers for Disease Control, involving approximately 90,000 individuals across 35,000 American households. The survey is designed to be generalizable to the civilian, noninstitutionalized United States population and is therefore well suited to evaluate longitudinal trends in physical, economic, and psychosocial health factors nationwide. We analyzed data from 2011 to 2017 and identified 1399 individuals who reported sustaining a fracture during the 3 months preceding their survey response. Among these patients, 27% (384 of 1399) were older than 65 years, 77% (1074) were White, 57% (796) were women, and 14% (191) were uninsured. A raw score compiled from 10 food security questions developed by the United States Department of Agriculture was used to determine the odds of 30-day food insecurity for each patient. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with food insecurity among patients reporting fractures. In the overall sample of National Health Interview Survey respondents, approximately 0.6% (1399 of 239,168) reported a fracture. Results: Overall, 17% (241 of 1399) of individuals reporting broken bones or fractures in the National Health Interview Survey also reported food insecurity. Individuals reporting fractures were more likely to report food insecurity if they also were aged between 45 and 64 years (adjusted odds ratio 4.0 [95% confidence interval 2.1 to 7.6]; p < 0.001), had a household income below USD 49,716 (200% of the federal poverty level) per year (adjusted OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.9 to 5.1]; p < 0.001), were current tobacco smokers (adjusted OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.6 to 5.1]; p < 0.001), and were of Black race (adjusted OR 1.9 [95% CI 1.1 to 3.4]; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Among patients with fractures, food insecurity screening and routine nutritional assessments may help to direct financially vulnerable patients toward available community resources. Such screening programs may improve adherence to nutritional recommendations in the trauma recovery period and improve the physiologic environment for adequate soft tissue and bone healing. Future research may benefit from the inclusion of clinical nutritional data, a broader representation of high-energy injuries, and a prospective study design to evaluate cost-efficient avenues for food insecurity interventions in the context of locally available social services networks. Level of Evidence: Level III, prognostic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation through relocation (PAR) is a milestone project in winning the battle against extreme poverty and aims to relocate poor people from inhospitable areas and lift them out of poverty. The effect of PAR on poor households merits evaluation as it is also the basis for understanding the achievements of targeted poverty alleviation and preventing a large-scale return to poverty. This study analyzed the effect of PAR on poor households from the perspectives of income and multidimensional poverty, based on panel data of 1009 poor households from eight provinces in China. The results showed that the incidence of multidimensional poverty in poor households exceeded that of income poverty, and its decline was faster than that of income poverty. However, the overlap between multidimensional poverty and income poverty was low, at 26.3%, 4.9%, and 0% in 2016, 2018, and 2020, respectively. PAR showed a significantly negative effect on poor households' income and multidimensional poverty, and the longer the relocation time, the more significant the effect. PAR reduced the income poverty of poor households mainly by increasing their wage income and property income, and multidimensional poverty mainly by improving their living standards. The impact of PAR on income and multidimensional poverty is regional heterogeneous. Post-relocation measures should improve the income and capability of poor households through industrial development, employment assistance, infrastructure upgrades, and public service improvements. In addition, the income and multidimensional poverty standards should be jointly adopted in the governance of relative poverty. • This study assessed the impact of poverty alleviation through relocation on income and multidimensional poverty. • The overlap between multidimensional poverty and income poverty of poor households was low. • Poverty alleviation through relocation had a significantly negative impact on income and multidimensional poverty. • Poverty alleviation through relocation reduced the income poverty mainly by increasing wage income and property income. • Poverty alleviation through relocation reduced the multidimensional poverty mainly by improving living standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have attempted to assess how gender affects urban and peri-urban agriculture in Ethiopia. On the basis of a household survey, data were collected from 54 urban farmer households using a structured questionnaire, and nine case studies and focus group discussions were randomly selected from three sub-cities in Addis Ababa and one district in the Oromia Special Zone surrounding Finfine. Data from both primary and secondary sources were employed to generate the paper. The findings revealed that the most common types of agribusiness in urban and peri-urban areas were cultivating grass and vegetable crops. It also suggests that those involved in urban and peri-urban agriculture are creating job opportunities and extra income for middle- and low-income people. The decision-makers therefore must implement sustainable livelihood systems for these very poor communities, which reside in peri-urban and urban centers in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how ethical food consumption is framed in the accounts of ordinary people living in affluent societies, with a particular focus on income differences. Research on ethical consumption often associates 'ethical' with the consumption of certain predefined products. This study leaves the question of the content of ethical consumption open for empirical investigation. Further, instead of focusing only on the moment of purchasing, this study considers how people with different income levels relate to both food consumption and waste. The analysis draws from qualitative interviews with 60 people living in Canada and Finland. The analysis identified the techniques, subjects and norms through which the question ethical food consumption is posed by the informants and how they framed these issues with regard to income. The findings underline that ethical consumption is a socially constructed, contested and even internally contradictory discourse. Differences in income do not only mean differences in the role that money plays in food choices but also in what kind of consumption people consider worth pursuing. Further, differences in income dictate differences in how people are morally positioned vis-à-vis abundance. For people with a higher level of income, moral blame is asserted on wasteful consumption habits. For the people with a low income, in turn, it is ethically condemnable to refuse to rejoice at the abundance around us. The findings indicate that even in a society where the rhetoric of choice is prominent both as a right and as an obligation by which people ought to display ethical agency, the ethics of choice is tied to the resources available for consumption. People with a severely low income occasionally enjoy the trickling down of abundant treats and surprises. However, for them, occasional indulgence causes not only pleasure but also trouble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic status is an overlooked risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Low family income is a measure of socioeconomic status and may portend greater CVD risk. Therefore, we assessed the association of family income with cardiovascular risk factor and disease burden in American adults. This retrospective analysis included data from participants aged ≥ 20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles between 2005 and 2018. Family income to poverty ratio (PIR) was calculated by dividing family (or individual) income by poverty guidelines specific to the survey year and used as a measure of socioeconomic status. The association of PIR with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and CVD as well as cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality was examined. We included 35,932 unweighted participants corresponding to 207,073,472 weighted, nationally representative participants. Participants with lower PIR were often female and more likely to belong to race/ethnic minorities (non-Hispanic Black, Mexican American, other Hispanic). In addition, they were less likely to be married/living with a partner, to attain college graduation or higher, or to have health insurance. In adjusted analyses, the prevalence odds of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and stroke largely decreased in a step-wise manner from highest (≥ 5) to lowest PIR (< 1). In adjusted analysis, we also noted a mostly dose-dependent association of PIR with the risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality during a mean 5.7 and 5.8 years of follow up, respectively. Our study demonstrates a largely dose-dependent association of PIR with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, CHF, CAD and stroke prevalence as well as incident all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Public policy efforts should be directed to alleviate these disparities to help improve cardiovascular outcomes in vulnerable groups with low family income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telemental health may increase access to care; there has been little research on efficacy with those at the lower end of the income distribution. The purpose of this study was to determine whether lower vs. higher income patients receiving telepsychiatric care for depression achieve: (1) effective symptom reduction and (2) similar outcomes. Methods: Data utilized were obtained from a national mental health telehealth company and consisted of 5,426 U.S.-based patients receiving psychiatric care for moderate to severe depression between October, 2018 and January, 2022. Propensity matching was used to create lower and higher income samples (n = 379 in each) using 22 covariates. These samples were then compared using repeated measures ANOVA on Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores at start of treatment, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks. Results: Both lower and higher income groups made significant improvement over time, with groups averaging mild symptom severity by week 16. There was a significant group x time interaction, such that the lower income group had significantly greater depression severity at the last two timepoints. Conclusion: Lower and higher income groups both made significant improvement in depression symptom severity over time following initiation of psychiatric treatment via a telehealth platform, though higher income individuals, all else being equal besides employment, tend to do better. These findings suggest that when lower income individuals do participate in care, good outcomes can be achieved. Further research is needed to better understand the role social determinants of health (SDOH) play in outcome disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal dumping is a matter of concern particularly to local municipalities which are incapable of handling and managing volumes of waste produced from households. This study used a quantitative research design for fieldwork observation and structured questionnaires across three residential classes to assess the intensity and determinants of illegal waste dumping. Based on residential class (low, medium, and high), we found that the low-income areas had more problems of waste management compared to the medium and high-income residential areas. The low-income residents were without access to municipal waste collection services and opted to dump waste illegally. The Chi-square test showed positive significant relationship between the intensity of illegal waste dumping and several socio-economic variables of the respondents such as household income (12.063), gender (8.031), education (7.471) and age (7.945). We therefore suggest that besides communities taking initiatives such as recycling and composting if waste is not collected, urban stakeholders should be more focused on the highly low-income communities. The study has critical planning implications for sustainable waste management and environmental integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is a continuation of our previous research, which looked at the comparison of the incomes of the working poor in 2010 and 2020 in the South West region of Aceh (Regencies, Aceh Jaya, Aceh Barat, Nagan Raya, Aceh Barat Daya, Simeulue, Aceh Selatan, Subulussalam, and Singkil). Still at the same locus, we try to present what other effects are on the income of a working poor. Armed with the MCA method as an analytical tool, it makes this even more interesting and adds to the newness of the data that we obtained directly in the field. From the test results we found that; The income of the working poor in the South West is influenced by gender, where the urban working poor category in the informal and non-agricultural sectors earn better than the rural poor in the agricultural sector, and the effect of age has an impact on the incomes of the working poor. The existence of the age factor makes poor workers tend to be able to migrate, it is possible for workers in the informal sector to be high in urban areas. Although not so large, the income of the working poor has an influence on other variables that we use, such as marital status, education level, and number of hours worked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employed data on US mortgage rates from 2009 to 2017 to study the effect of gender on the mortgage rate. Preliminary examination revealed that women faced a comparatively high mortgage rate. This condition was most severe during 2012–2014, when female borrowers must pay an average of 0.1 percentage points higher rates than male peers. However, regression analysis indicated that income might exert diverse effects on the interest rates received by women. In terms of default risk assessment, lenders may distinguish between female borrowers with different incomes, causing income to become the key factor determining the interest rate received by female borrowers. This study adopted income as a threshold condition to estimate the effect of various default risk factors on mortgage rates. The obtained result indicated that during 2009–2017, women's status shifted from disadvantageous to advantageous in the mortgage market. Female borrowers who belonged to the highest income group received their lowest interest rates in 2015–2017, which were 0.026 percentage points lower than those faced by male peers in the same financial position. Based on relevant behavioral differences between men and women proposed in literature, reasons for this phenomenon are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impacts of Livestock Asset Transfers on the livelihoods of the ultra-poor in West Bengal, India. The programme provides the female members of ultra-poor households with livestock assets as grants. We find that the intervention increases per capita monthly income by Rs 1061 (122% increase). It also increases the food expenditures of households and enables them to secure enough food to eat at least two meals a day. Furthermore, the programme also increases the number/amount of owned livestock assets, poultry, and cultivable lands amid the treatment households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers have adopted built environment policies to modify people's travel behavior and the related emissions. However, few studies have examined the interactive impact between income level and built environment attributes on travel-related carbon emissions (TCE), and only several studies consider their nonlinear relationships. With data from the Twin Cities, US, this study estimated the nonlinear effects of built environment attributes and demographics on TCE. It further examined the interactive impacts between household income and built environment attributes. The findings highlight that demographics exert a greater influence on TCE than the built environment. Employment status, job accessibility, and gender are the most important predictors. Besides individual nonlinear relationships, household income and built environment attributes have salient interactive impacts on TCE. The results suggest that providing environment friendly and affordable transportation choices to low-income population, switching to clean energy vehicles, and offering more matched job opportunities to low-income population near their residence are promising to create a sustainable transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact on the income of families benefiting from the "Minha Casa Minha Vida" Brazilian Social Housing Program through the integration of photovoltaic (PV) generation systems into housing financing, as outlined by Law 14,620 enacted in July 2023. Given the novelty of this legislation, there is no existing database for analysis. Consequently, simulations of PV generation were carried out for the typical dwellings provided by the program across the five macro regions of Brazil. The simulation takes into account maintenance and equipment replacement costs, tariff rules, and standard adjustment rates in the country. Across all examined scenarios, the installation of residential rooftop PV systems yielded favorable outcomes, resulting in a reduction in electricity costs for the low-income population. Making provisions for a Sinking Fund in the program was identified as crucial to provide sustainability, long-term operation, maintenance and replacement. Additionally, it was observed that civil construction companies play a crucial role in popularizing the proposal. In conclusion, legislation incorporating PV generation into the national housing program represents merely the initial step toward realizing the widespread adoption of this energy generation technology in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High energy cost is a key barrier to equitable access to residential electrification of heating. • Energy retrofits can reduce residential energy cost increase due to heat pumps. • Drivers of household energy inefficiency can be understood through on-site energy audits. • Economic payback of energy retrofits is long, limiting viability for low-income residents. Residential heat pumps could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but increase energy burdens, the proportion of income households spend on utility bills. We analyze utility bills, thermostat settings and energy burdens for a sample of 51 households in Michigan, half below median income. We recruit a contractor to conduct energy assessments of these households and provide them with energy retrofit recommendations, including estimated costs and savings. We find that low-income households choose similar temperature setpoints to higher-income households, but live in less efficient homes. Below-median income households, which today experience a median energy burden of 6 %, would see it rise to 10 % if they shifted to electric heat pumps from natural gas. Weatherization could offset this increase, bringing burdens down to pre-electrification levels. However, median payback is 24 years, making retrofits infeasible for the poorest. Our results are indicative of an energy poverty trap that could hinder an equitable energy transition. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Comment on the article 'Differences in Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction for Low- and High-Income Patients in 6 Countries', recently published in JAMA, https://doi.org/jama.2023.1699. b Key points This is a cross-sectional cohort study based on population-representative administrative data from an International Health System Research Collaborative (IHSRC) involving six countries [United States (USA), Canada (only two provinces), England, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Israel)] aiming to determine whether treatment patterns and outcomes for elderly patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) differ for low- vs. high-income individuals.[1] The authors' hypothesis was that there would be larger income-based disparities in the USA than in other countries. High-income patients were defined as those living in areas (e.g. postal code) in the top 20% of the income distribution and low-income as those living in areas in the bottom 20% of the income distribution. Rates of CABG surgery were comparable among low- vs. high-income patients presenting with STEMI, whereas they were 1% to 2% higher among high-income patients presenting with NSTEMI. [Extracted from the article]

Parental income is negatively and linearly related to the digit ratio (2D:4D; a proxy for prenatal sex steroids) of their children. Children of parents with high income are thought to be exposed to higher prenatal testosterone and develop lower 2D:4D. It is further hypothesized that 2D:4D relates to sexual orientation, although it is unclear whether the association is linear or curvilinear. Here, we consider patterns of parental income and its association with the sexual behavior of their adult children in a large online study (the BBC internet study). There were curvilinear relationships with parental income in male and female children. The highest frequencies of homosexuality and bisexuality were found in the lowest income group (bottom 25% of the population), the lowest frequencies in the income group representing the upper 50% of the population, and intermediate values in the other groups (low 50% and top 25% of the population). Parental income showed a U-shaped association with scores for same-sex attraction and an inverted U-shaped association with opposite-sex attraction. Thus, for the first time, we show that same-sex attraction is related to parental income. The curvilinear relationship between parental income and sexual behavior in their adult children may result from an association between very high fetal estrogen or testosterone and attraction to partners of the same sex. Among non-heterosexuals, and in both sexes, very high fetal estrogen may be associated with femme or submissive sexual roles, and very high fetal testosterone with butch and assertive sexual roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic freedom is robustly associated with income growth, but does this association extend to the poorest in a society? In this paper, we employ Canada's longitudinal cohorts of income mobility between 1982 and 2018 to answer this question. We find that economic freedom, as measured by the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) index, is positively associated with multiple measures of income mobility for people in the lowest income deciles, including (a) absolute income gain; (b) the percentage of people with rising income; and (c) average decile mobility. For the overall population, economic freedom has weaker effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether income gaps in voting turnout vary with country-level economic inequality, and whether this pattern differs between wealthier and less-wealthy countries. Moreover, we investigated whether the prevalence of clientelism was the underlying mechanism that accounts for the presumed negative interaction between relative income and economic inequality at lower levels of national wealth per capita. The harmonised PolPart dataset, combining cross-national surveys from 66 countries and 292 country-years, including 510,184 individuals, was analysed using multilevel logistic regression models. We found that the positive effect of relative income on voting was weaker at higher levels of economic inequality, independent of the level of national wealth. Although clientelism partially explains why economic inequality reduces the income gap in voter turnout, it does not do so in the way we expected. It seems to decrease turnout of higher income groups, rather than increase turnout of lower income groups. Importantly, that economic inequality reduces the income gap in voter turnout does not imply that economic inequality is positive for democratic representation, since economic inequality was found to depress the likelihood of voting for all income groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental child-related spending represents an important pathway to promote children's human capital development and material well-being. It is also, however, a pathway that perpetuates social inequalities given the well-known socioeconomic divide in parental spending on children. Although several studies have documented the extent to which current family income is associated with spending on children, we still know little about the causal effects of additional income on child-related spending across the socioeconomic strata. In this paper, I examine the effects of income gains due to universal and unconditional cash transfers from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend on child-related spending. Using longitudinal household expenditure data from the 1996–2015 Consumer Expenditure Surveys, I exploit exogenous variation in the generosity of the Alaska Dividend to estimate short- and long-term disparities in parental expenditures resulting from payouts. Results provide a unique opportunity to compare the behavior of high- and low-income parents after an income boost. I find that low- and middle-income parents use cash transfers to catch up with their more affluent counterparts in the short and long term. Low-income parents are, however, unable to keep up with the long-term increases in child-related spending made by their middle-income counterparts. Implications of results for the reproduction of socioeconomic inequalities and for current and proposed cash-transfer policies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital is often argued an important non-monetized capital for poor people which can be instrumental for poverty eradication and overall economic development. This paper investigates these claims for informal workers. Based on data from a primary survey in Hooghly district of West Bengal, India, an individual level composite social capital index is calculated considering the structural-relational-cognitive dimensions of social capital. Then OLS method has been used to test the impact of social capital on income with respect to the socioeconomic condition of responders. The findings suggest that the role of social capital to improve income is limited by the poor socioeconomic condition and therefore the optimistic view about the role of social capital in poverty eradication should be treated cautiously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research uses an index to measure economic resilience, but the index is inadequate because it is impossible to determine which disturbance factors have the greatest impact on the economic resilience of cities. This study aims to develop a new methodology to measure the economic resilience of a city by simultaneously examining unwanted conditions and disturbance factors. The ratio of regional original income to the number of poor people is known as Z and is identified as a measure of economic resilience in Indonesia. Resilience is measured by Z's position in relation to the unwanted area following a specific level of disturbance. If Z is in the unwanted condition, the city's per capita income will decrease, and the city will be considered economically not resilient. The results of the analysis show that six levels of economic resilience have been successfully distinguished based on research on 514 cities in Indonesia involving nine indicators of disturbance and one variable of economic resilience during the five-year observation period, 2015–2019. Only 3.11 percent of cities have economic resilience level 1, while 69.18 percent have level 0. Economically resilient cities consist of 4.24 percent of cities at level 2, as much as 3.39 percent at level 3, as much as 3.39 percent at level 4, and as much as 16.69 percent at level 5. The novelty of this research is to provide a new methodology for measuring the economic resilience of cities by integrating unwanted conditions as necessary conditions and disturbance factors as sufficient conditions. The measurement of a city's economic resilience is critical to help the city government assess the security of the city so the government can take preventive actions to avoid the cities falling into unwanted conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary European studies examining associations between socioeconomic status and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence are scarce. We aimed to target population groups with a heavier burden of HCC by assessing associations of individual‐level sociodemographic variables and neighbourhood deprivation with all‐stage and stage‐specific HCC incidence rates (IR). Patient and population data stratified by calendar year (2012‐2018), sex, age (5‐year groups), household income (low, medium and high), country of birth (Nordic, non‐Nordic) and neighbourhood deprivation (national quintiles Q1‐Q5) were retrieved from Swedish registers. HCC stages were defined by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0 to A (early‐stage) and B to D (late‐stage). IR (per 100 000 person‐years) were estimated by Poisson regression models. Men had four times higher IR than women. IRs increased markedly with lower household income as well as with neighbourhood deprivation. Seven times higher IR was observed among people with a low household income living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (IR 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.28‐4.64) compared to people with a high household income living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (IR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46‐0.74). The gradient across income categories was more pronounced for late‐stage than early‐stage HCC. IR reached 30 (per 100 000 person‐years) for people in the age span 60 to 79 years with low income and 20 for 60 to 79 year old people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (regardless of income). Men with low household income and/or living in the most deprived neighbourhoods might be considered as primary targets in studies evaluating the cost‐effectiveness of screening for early‐stage HCC detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate how parental income during an individual's upbringing relates to his or her effectiveness as a leader after entering an organization. Drawing on research on the psychological effects of income, social learning theory, and the integrative trait-behavioral model of leadership effectiveness, we propose a negative, serially mediated association between higher parental income and lower future leader effectiveness via high levels of narcissism and, in turn, reduced engagement in behaviors that are viewed as central to the leadership role .We test our model using multisource data collected from active soldiers in the United States Army. Results reveal that parental income exerts indirect effects on leadership effectiveness criteria because (a) parental income is positively related to narcissism as an adult, (b) narcissism relates negatively to engaging in task-, relational-, and change-oriented leadership behaviors, and (c) reduced engagement in these behaviors relates to lower leader effectiveness. Our investigation advances theory by identifying pathways through which parental income relates to the effectiveness of leaders in organizations, and by illuminating the origins of a trait--narcissism--that predicts the behavior and effectiveness of leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants tend to have unhealthier dietary consumption compared to eligible non-participants. It has been suggested, though never empirically tested, that individuals who enroll in SNAP may have unhealthy diets prior to program participation. Using a longitudinal cohort study design, we examined the association between low-income adults' SNAP participation status and prior dietary behaviors to test the argument that individuals with unhealthier dietary consumption self-select into SNAP. A sample of households from predominantly lower-income cities were surveyed at baseline (T1) and 2–4 years later (T2). The main analyses were restricted to adults who did not participate in SNAP at T1 and with household income <200% of the federal poverty line (n = 170) at both T1 and T2. Participants were grouped into two categories, based on their SNAP participation at T2; (a) Non-participants (n = 132): no SNAP participation at T1 or T2, and (b) T2 SNAP participants (n = 38): SNAP participation at T2 but not T1. Daily consumption frequency of whole fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and energy dense snacks were measured through self-reports. To observe dietary differences between the two groups prior to SNAP participation, T1 behaviors were compared. There were no significant differences in dietary behaviors at T1 (prior to SNAP participation) between non-participants and T2 participants, providing no evidence of self-selection of individuals with unhealthier dietary consumption into SNAP among our study sample. Improvements in SNAP participants' diets may benefit from focusing on policy changes that encourage healthy dietary habits during participation in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-materialist hypothesis suggests that perceptions of climate change threat will be greatest among the most affluent individuals and nations. In contrast, we present a precarity hypothesis: that perceptions of threat will be greatest among the most economically vulnerable individuals and nations, who are least equipped to adapt to a changing climate. To examine these predictions, we analyzed Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll (2021), which asked 280,000 individuals from 121 countries to indicate the degree of threat they believed climate change presented to their country in the next 20 years. Overall, no relationship was found between nation-level affluence – as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI) – and perceived climate change threat. Threat shared a small positive association with individual-level income, but an even stronger positive relationship with subjective financial distress. This relationship between subjective financial distress and climate change threat was particularly strong in low-HDI countries. Together, the data show little evidence for the post-materialist hypothesis and are more consistent with a precarity hypothesis. • Theories diverge about how wealth shapes perceptions of climate threat. • World risk poll offers opportunity to test role of individual and national wealth. • Perception of climate threat highest among financially vulnerable citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - This study is aimed to investigate the interconnection between the average income level and the tendency of the Malaysian community toward the adoption of Islamic digital banking. Methodology - This study used a quantitative survey questionnaire with 100 valid respondents. The data were collected within 3 months and the SPSS software was applied in this study to analyse the data using descriptive analysis. Cronbach's alpha tests were used to determine the reliability of multiple questions based on the Likert scale questionnaires in this study. Findings - The general finding of this study shows that the group with lower income levels is more responsive to the adoption of Islamic digital banking compared to the higher income group. It indicates that this group believed that Islamic digital banking can be beneficial to the community socially and economically in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and transaction cost. Novelty - The emergence of this study is to contribute the literature and reference related to Islamic digital banking for the interest of researchers, practitioners, and consumers in developing further research and the adoption of this platform in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between age and happiness has been the subject of numerous studies. It is still a matter of controversy whether the relationship is U-shaped, with happiness declining after youth before bouncing back in old age, or not. While the effect of age has been examined conditional on income and other socio-demographic variables, so far, the interactions between age and income have remained insufficiently explored. Using data from the European Social Survey, this article shows that the nature of the relationship between age and happiness varies strongly with different levels of relative income. People in the lowest decile of the income distribution experience a 'hockey stick': a deep decline in self-reported happiness until around age 50–55 and a small bounce back in old age. The classic U-curve is found mostly in the middle-income ranks. For people at the top of the income distribution, average happiness does not vary much with age. These results demonstrate the important role of income in moderating the relationship between age and happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]