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Background: Urban poor women face dual challenges regarding gender inequalities and urban poverty, which make them more likely to have health problems and affect their health-seeking behaviour. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of health-seeking behaviour during times of illness and predictors of sought care among urban poor women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among 340 randomly selected women residents from April to May 2023. Data was collected using a validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 28.0 software. The dependent variable in this study was health-seeking behaviour during times of illness, while the independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, medical conditions, women's autonomy in decision-making, social support, perceived stigma, and attitude towards health. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of sought care during times of illness., Results: Study response rate was 100%, where 72.4% sought care during times of illness. Being non-Malay (AOR = 4.33, 95% CI: 1.847, 10.161), having healthcare coverage (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.466, 4.612), rating their health as good (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.119, 3.118), and having pre-existing chronic diseases (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.130, 3.271) were identified as predictors of sought care during times of illness., Conclusion: The present study showed that health-seeking behaviour during times of illness among the participants was appropriate. Health promotion and education, with a focus on educating and raising awareness about the importance of seeking timely healthcare, are crucial to improving health-seeking behaviour among urban poor women. Collaboration with relevant stakeholders is needed to develop comprehensive strategies to improve access to healthcare facilities for these women., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Inequalities in access to and utilization of maternal and child health (MCH) care are hampering progress on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In a number of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) population subgroups at disproportionate risk of being left behind are the urban poor. Within this neglected group is the further neglected group of the homeless. Concomitantly, a number of interventions from the antenatal period onward have been piloted, tested, and scaled in these contexts. We carried out an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) to characterize the evidence around maternal and child health interventions relevant to urban poor homeless populations in LMICs., Methods: We searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Health Systems Evidence and EBSCOhost databases for SRs published between January 2009 and 2020 (with an updated search through November 2021). Our population of interest was women or children from urban poor settings in LMICs; interventions and outcomes corresponded with the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidance document. Each SR was assessed by two reviewers using established standard critical appraisal checklists. The overview was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021229107)., Results: In a sample of 33 high quality SRs, we found no direct relevant evidence for pregnant and lactating homeless women (and children) in the reviewed literature. There was a lack of emphasis on evidence related to family planning, safe abortion care, and postpartum care of mothers. There was mixed quality evidence that the range of nutritional interventions had little, unclear or no effect on several child mortality and development outcomes. Interventions related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, ensuring acceptability of community health services and health promotion type programs could be regarded as beneficial, although location seemed to matter. Importantly, the risk of bias reporting in different reviews did not match, suggesting that greater attention to rigour in their conduct is needed., Conclusion: The generalizability of existing systematic reviews to our population of interest was poor. There is a clear need for rigorous primary research on MCH interventions among urban poor, and particularly homeless populations in LMICs, as it is as yet unclear whether the same, augmented, or altogether different interventions would be required., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Billions of people live in urban poverty, with many forced to reside in disaster-prone areas. Research suggests that such disasters harm child nutrition and increase adult morbidity. However, little is known about impacts on mental health, particularly of people living in slums. In this paper we estimate the effects of flood disasters on the mental and physical health of poor adults and children in urban Indonesia. Our data come from the Indonesia Family Life Survey and new surveys of informal settlement residents. We find that urban poor populations experience increases in acute morbidities and depressive symptoms following floods, that the negative mental health effects last longer, and that the urban wealthy show no health effects from flood exposure. Further analysis suggests that worse economic outcomes may be partly responsible. Overall, the results provide a more nuanced understanding of the morbidities experienced by populations most vulnerable to increased disaster occurrence., (© 2022 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Malaysia has the highest rate of overweight and obesity among Asian countries. Obesity is increasing particularly among low-income populations. This study aimed to assess dietary practices among low-income adults in urban communities, including gender and ethnic variation, to inform the development of locally tailored, evidence-based interventions for health promotion., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from August to December 2020. Stratified sampling was employed to recruit 2983 low-income adults from households in the bottom 40% of the economic spectrum (B40) at six public, low-cost housing flats in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire to understand dietary practices, perceptions of healthy food availability and affordability, and factors affecting food purchasing decisions., Results: A staggering 89.5% of B40 adults were found to not consume adequate daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. In addition, 68.1% reported consuming sugar-sweetened beverages at least once per week, including commercially packed ready-to-drink beverages, sugar-added self-prepared drinks, and premixed drinks. Intake was statistically significantly higher among men (71.7%), Malays (70.3%), and Indians (69.9%). Bread and other commercially baked goods were the most common processed foods, and 52.9% of respondents consumed it at least once per week. Majorities reported that healthy foods were moderately available and priced. The top three reported factors affecting food purchase choices were price (79.4%), availability (75%), and taste (73%)., Conclusions: Adults in low-cost housing communities have unhealthy dietary patterns with low intake of fruits and vegetables and high intake of ultra-processed foods and calorie-dense local foods, with variations across gender and ethnicity. The study highlighted the need for educating low-income families on diet-disease relationships and possibilities for inexpensive, healthy eating that rely on minimally processed fresh foods. Policymakers engaging the food industry are advised to consider how to increase the affordability and availability of healthy foods in low-income communities in urban areas., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Child malnutrition remains a global concern with implications not only for children's health and cognitive function, but also for countries' economic growth. Recent reports suggest that global nutrition targets will not be met by 2025. Large gaps are evident between and within countries. One of the largest disparities in child malnutrition within counties is between urban and rural children. Large disparities also exist in urban areas that have higher rates of child malnutrition in the urban poor areas or slums. This paper examines stunting and anemia related to an urban poverty measure in children under age 5 in 28 low and middle-income countries with Demographic and Health Survey data. We used the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) definition to define urban poor areas as a proxy for slums. The results show that in several countries, children had a higher risk of stunting and anemia in urban poor areas compared to children in urban non-poor areas. In some countries, this risk was similar to the risk between the rural and urban non-poor. Tests of heterogeneity showed that these results were not homogeneous across countries. These results help to identify areas of greater disadvantage and the required interventions for stunting and anemia.

Objectives: Despite the rise in community health problems in populations living in urban slums, activities of community health nurses are limited in Bangladesh. This study aimed to describe how a nurse-managed health center (NMHC) was developed in Dhaka, Bangladesh., Design: An exploratory-descriptive research design was used., Sample and Measurements: The commitment phase was conducted to establish partnerships in the community. Involvement of community leaders and members and partnerships with various organizations were established successfully in the commitment phase. The assessment phase was completed by implementing personal interviews, community site visits, and household surveys of 172 households in the community. Action plans were developed and strategies were followed to change the community during the planning phase., Results: Household survey results showed that community people suffered from non-communicable diseases, risk behaviors, and inadequate housing conditions. The high-priority community needs included nutrition and chronic management services, behavior change programs, and a clean environment. Action plans for health programs based on community needs and strategies such as securing manpower and equipment were developed., Conclusions: The systematic process of creating a NMHC, and the necessity of the community health nurse's role in responding to health needs of the urban poor in Dhaka, Bangladesh was confirmed., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Sexual abstinence is a key component of the strategy to address unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV among youth in sub-Sahara Africa. But contextual pressures make abstaining from sex a formidable task for urban poor youth in the sub-region. Nevertheless, some youth in these settings still manage to resist the pressure to initiate sex early, while others choose abstinence after an initial sexual debut. Few studies in the sub-region have examined sexual abstinence among urban poor youth. We therefore examined the factors that predict primary and secondary sexual abstinence among youth in urban poor Accra. The findings highlight the protective factors associated with sexual intercourse and should help to address the needs of youth at risk of unprotected sex., Methods: The study analysed pooled data from two rounds of the Urban Health and Poverty Survey. The surveys analysed were conducted in 2011 and 2013. The analysis was restricted to unmarried youth between age 20 and 24 years. The total sample comprised 235 female and male youth. We conducted multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the predictors of primary and secondary abstinence relative to current sexual intercourse., Results: The results showed that being female, sexual communication with only fathers, sexual communication with only friends and slum residence were negatively associated with primary sexual abstinence. Contrarily, being in school, attaching importance to religion, residing in a household that received social support and sexual communication with both parents were positively associated with primary abstinence. Regarding secondary abstinence, only the sexual communication variables had significant effects. Sexual communication with both parents positively predicted secondary abstinence while communication with fathers-only and friends-only had a negative effect., Conclusion: Sexual abstinence is predicted by factors which range from individual through household factors to the locality of residence. Despite the importance of all the predictors, the study found that sexual communication with both parents was the only factor that predicted a higher likelihood of both primary and secondary sexual abstinence. We therefore recommend sexual communication between parents and youth as a key strategy for promoting sexual abstinence among urban poor youth in Accra, Ghana.

The poor often experience illness and the treatment costs are high and even catastrophic for the poor. This paper reports the extent of illness, treatment-seeking behaviour and out of pocket healthcare expenditures and the determinants of treatment-seeking behaviour and healthcare expenditures among the urban poor living in Delhi. A total of 2,998 households participated in the study. Socio-demographic details, illness experiences (episodic illness in the past 3 months, hospitalisation in the past 1 year and any chronic illness), treatment seeking and healthcare expenditures were collected for all household members through a pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regressions were carried out for factors associated with treatment-seeking choices. Multiple linear regressions were carried for factors associated with out of pocket expenditures (OOPE). Of the total 15,218 household members (of the 2,998 households), 4,052 (26.6%) experienced episodic illness (mainly fever, respiratory illnesses, food- and waterborne diseases and eye infections) in the past 3 months, 230 (1.5%) were hospitalised and 976 (6.4%) have chronic illness (mainly hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and respiratory problems). Of the 2,998 households, 2,225 (74.2%) households reported at least one event of illness. Unqualified practitioners were the main source of care for episodic illnesses. Perceived seriousness of the illness, having Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) benefit, higher educational status of the head of the household, higher monthly household incomes, belonging other backward castes and settled-migrant status led to seeking formal care. Dengue was the main reason for hospitalisation. Government including ESIS hospitals were mainly utilised for hospitalisation. Healthcare expenditures were higher for private healthcare. Possession of mandatory health insurance was protective against OOPEs. OOPEs were more for the men/boys and for the young. Improving access to government healthcare services is important. Extending the ESIS to the unorganised workers including urban poor migrants should be considered so as to bring them under mandatory social protection., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study reports the awareness, access, and utilization of health insurance by the urban poor in Delhi, India. The study included 2998 households from 85 urban clusters spread across Delhi. The data were collected through a pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was performed for determinants of health insurance possession. Only 19% knew about health insurance; 18% had health insurance (8% Employees State Insurance Scheme - ESIS - 8% Central Government Health Scheme - CGHS - 1.4%; Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) - 9.4% of the eligible households). In case of health needs, 95% of CGHS, 71% ESIS beneficiaries, and 9.5% of RSBY beneficiaries utilized the schemes for episodic and chronic illnesses. For hospitalization needs, 54% of RSBY, 86% of ESIS, 100% CGHS utilized respective services. Residential area, migration period, possession of ration card, household size, and occupation of the head of the household were significantly associated with possession of RSBY. RSBY played a limited role in meeting the healthcare needs of the people, thus may not be capable of contributing significantly in the efforts of achieving equity in healthcare for the poor. Relatively, ESIS and CGHS served the healthcare needs of the beneficiaries better. Expansion of ESIS to the informal workers may be considered., Competing Interests: None declared., (© Atlantis Press International B.V.)

Background: The world is urbanizing rapidly; more than half the world's population now lives in urban areas, leading to significant transition in lifestyles and social behaviours globally. While offering many advantages, urban environments also concentrate health risks and introduce health hazards for the poor. In Bangladesh, although many public policies are directed towards equity and protecting people's rights, these are not comprehensively and inclusively applied in ways that prioritize the health rights of citizens. The country is thus facing many issues that raise moral and ethical concerns., Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted between October 2016 and November 2017 on issues related to social justice, health, and human rights in urban Bangladesh. The key questions discussed here are: i) ethical dilemmas and inclusion of the urban poor to pursue social justice; and ii) the ethical obligations and moral responsibilities of the state and non-state sectors in serving Bangladesh's urban poor. Using a Rawlsian theory of equality of opportunity to ensure social justice, we identified key health-related ethical issues in the country's rapidly changing urban landscape, especially among the poor., Results: We examined ethical dilemmas in Bangladesh's health system through the rural-urban divide and the lack of coordination among implementing agencies. The unregulated profusion of the private sector and immoral practices of service providers result in high out-of-pocket expenditures for urban poor, leading to debt and further impoverishment. We also highlight policy and programmatic gaps, as well as entry points for safeguarding the right to health for Bangladeshi citizens., Conclusions: The urban health system in Bangladesh needs a reform in which state and non-state actors should work together, understanding and acknowledging their moral responsibilities for improving the health of the urban poor by engaging multiple sectors. The social determinants of health should be taken into account when formulating policies and programs to achieve universal health coverage and ensure social justice for the urban poor in Bangladesh.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to report birth preparedness and place of birth and its determinants among recent- and settled- migrant households living in slums of Delhi., Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, 458 migrant mothers with a child aged below one year of age were identified. Socio-demographic details, data on the place of childbirth, antenatal care (ANC) and birth preparedness in terms of planning for home birth or hospital birth, transport, saving money, knowledge of danger signs were collected through interviewer-administered pretested questionnaire. Logistic regression was carried out for the determinants of hospital birth., Results: The present study migrants are characterised by younger ages, low educational attainment, low incomes and represented by socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. They mainly relied on government healthcare services for maternal care. ANC seeking was not satisfactory with 16% of women with no ANC; 46% receiving 1-3 visits; and only 23% of women reported health worker visited them at home. 59% of the births took place at hospitals. Having ANC visits (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) for having 4 or more ANC visits = 5.252), planning for hospital birth (AOR = 6.114), plan for transport (AOR = 1.989), mass media exposure (listening to radio; AOR = 2.871) and knowledge of danger signs (AOR = 3.872) resulted in significant chances of hospital birth., Conclusion: Migrant women are at the risk of utilizing the services to a less extent. The health systems need to take measures to mitigate the disadvantage due to migration through specific strategies to make them inclusive and outreach to the poor migrants., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries has led to widespread urban poverty and increased susceptibility to environmental exposures owing to the hazardous occupational activities of the urban poor. Street vending and waste picking are the dominant works undertaken by the urban poor, and besides the physical hazards, it also exposes them to several pathogens and high levels of air pollutants present in the outdoor environment. The situation has severe consequences for the health of the workers. Eliminating these occupational activities from the urban landscape of developing countries should therefore receive urgent attention from the global health community and governments. In this article, we provide evidence to support this policy recommendation by documenting exposure experiences of the workers, the associated adverse health effects, whilst also outlining measures for addressing the problem sustainably. We conclude that with the adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDG), governments now have a commitment to address poverty and the associated occupational health hazards experienced by the poor through their choices to help achieve the health-related SDG target (3.9) of substantially reducing the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination by 2030.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to examine explanatory models of diabetes and diabetes complications among urban poor Ghanaians living with diabetes and implications for developing secondary prevention strategies., Design: Twenty adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited from three poor communities in Accra. Qualitative data were obtained using interviews that run between 40 and 90 minutes. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically, informed by the 'explanatory model of disease' concept., Results: Respondents associated diabetes and its complications with diet, family history, lifestyle factors (smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity), psychological stress and supernatural factors (witchcraft and sorcery). These associations were informed by biomedical and cultural models of diabetes and disease. Subjective experience, through a process of 'body-listening,' constituted a third model on which respondents drew to theorise diabetes complications. Poverty was an important mediator of poor self-care practices, including treatment non-adherence., Conclusions: The biomedical model of diabetes was a major source of legitimate information for self-care practices. However, this was understood and applied through a complex framework of cultural theories of chronic disease, the biopsychological impact of everyday illness experience and the disempowering effects of poverty. An integrated biopsychosocial approach is proposed for diabetes intervention in this research community.

Poverty remains a major challenge for the countries of the global south. Decent employment opportunity, a crucial determinant of poverty reduction, is increasingly becoming elusive for those countries regardless of a decent rate of economic growth. There is a growing separation of economic growth and employment growth under the aegis of neo-liberal economic policies. Economic growth, instead of becoming inclusive, turns out to be “jobless” or “job loss.” Failing to reverse this trend, “Active Labour Market Policies” (ALMPs) in the form of “Public Works Programmes” (PWPs) have emerged as a major strategy to reduce unemployment and poverty. Secondly, rural–urban migration is very much relied upon for the same. Raising agricultural productivity, a crucial question of “agrarian transition,” well evident and verified across the globe, is, however, becoming oblivion in the fight against poverty. In this context, based on a primary survey of 300 households in the poorest regions of India, this paper endeavors to investigate the relative strength of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), rural–urban migration, and land productivity on poverty. The study suggests that an agrarian-centric intervention is more effective in dealing with poverty as compared to MGNREGA (ALMPs) and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks into the implications of urban informality in Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum (2012) as represented in slum life and urban poverty. It aims to investigate the impact of urban poverty on the everyday practices of slum dwellers and their endeavors to escape the trap of poverty in an attempt to highlight the human dimension of the slum. The article seeks to unravel multi-layers of the interaction between people and poverty and the differing models of resistance to poverty and social exclusion depicted in the nonfiction narrative. The article examines slum life from a descriptive sociological perspective with a detailed description of how people survive in poverty. The study of the culture of slums entails an analysis of the survival techniques and everyday practices of slum dwellers, the relations and patterns of behavior among the different categories of people inhabiting a slum, and the outcomes of the interplay between place, culture, and power relations in such communities. This is implemented through an eclectic sociological approach that comprises theories of space, culture, and resistance as proposed by James Scott, Theodore W. Schultz, and Henri Lefebvre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living in poverty inhabit the outskirts of Mexican cities. They struggle and survive but cannot overcome poverty. The present article seeks to understand how the survival tactics of the urban poor keep them in poverty and, with this understanding, inform future interventions. A study based on qualitative grounded theory was conducted in 10 impoverished neighbourhoods in three main regions and cities in Mexico. Observational accounts and in-depth individual and group interviews were conducted with diverse social actors for 115 participants (75 women and 40 men) aged between 12 and 76 years. The data were analysed using an interpretative thematic analysis. Research findings revealed that the urban poor tackle adversities, such as a lack of basic services, health, education, environment, and nutrition. The strength, patience, and hard work employed by these individuals to survive were evident, but their actions to tackle these threats were costly. Ultimately, the urban poor remain in a cycle of poverty, or poverty traps. Interventions to fight poverty, improve life conditions, and general development must include integrated and participatory plans that consider the knowledge and strengths of the urban poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in an informal settlement in Dhaka, this article examines the relationships, contestations and negotiations of power and control between non-government organizations (NGO), community-based organizations (CBO) and local leaders in the context of community-driven development (CDD) interventions. Findings suggest a shift in informal settlement residents' perceptions and attitudes toward NGOs and CDD interventions where the previously documented distrust and lack of interest has changed to a more general interest to participate largely to draw on the power and influence in the community that CBO membership offers. Moreover, findings demonstrate how contestations and negotiations of power and control play out at various stages of engagement between NGOs, CBOs, and local leaders. These findings have important implications for international development practice, particularly for CDD, as they can contribute to addressing some of the current criticisms of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies concerned with how local states govern the urban poor have long focused on the state's attempts to control, criminalise and exclude individuals from public spaces. Researchers recently shifted this focus; they increasingly engage with organisations and front‐line practices relating to care. Underlying these analyses is the question of how urban governance rubs off on front‐line work and conditions for the urban poor. In their research, scholars rarely study through which organisational mechanisms front‐line workers and clients encounter each other. This article addresses 112 calls issued for unhoused individuals by third parties in Urgencity, a city in Germany. It sheds light on institutional and everyday logics that regularly bring third parties, emergency care front‐line workers and marginalised clients into contact. These calls often blur boundaries of illness and poverty and care and control and result in clients' circulation in emergency care: an urban impasse for front‐line workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero Waste household practices adopted in informal settlements have facilitated the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and contributed to income generation, food security and the strengthening of the social fabric. In four informal settlements in Santiago de Cali (Colombia), these practices were identified through participatory methodologies, and statistical tests of association between variables were used to determine possible causes of their implementation. These practices were found to be associated with characteristics of the residents including their connection to the cultural traditions of their places of origin, their resilience and solidarity, the satisfaction of their basic needs and their search for a healthy environment. This paper discusses these practices, the elements that drive them and their main benefits, highlighting the need for public policies to recognize their contributions in addressing global challenges and for future research to quantify their contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing South Asia's poverty, this research presents an exhaustive case study of Pakistan, exploring poverty dynamics at national and provincial levels, emphasizing the urban–rural divide. The study uses the most recent income and expenditure surveys from 2013 and 2015 and applies the Cost of Basic Needs methodology based on strong theoretical and empirical grounds. The research adjusts for price variation within and among provinces. It uses traditional Foster-Greer-Thorbecke measures and innovative measures like the Watts and Sen indices. Findings reveal a poverty decline in Pakistan between 2013 and 2015, with significant provincial variations in this decline. Despite a minor decline in the headcount ratio of the larger provinces, their poverty shares increased in 2013–15, showing a regional convergence trend with growing disparities in poverty headcount and depth. Using indices like Watts and Sen gives a more complete, nuanced poverty understanding, highlighting the need for their adoption alongside traditional measures. The research ends with policy implications, emphasizing the importance of targeted poverty reduction strategies to address regional disparities effectively. This research offers insights into South Asia's poverty dynamics and contributes significantly to SDG 1—ending poverty. The Pakistan case study is a valuable reference for other countries, guiding accurate poverty measurement, effective policy-making, and efficient SDGs performance tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the impact of smartphone usage on multidimensional poverty reduction. Utilizing the A-F approach, we compute a multidimensional poverty index based on five dimensions: education, health, income, living standard, and labor force. This index categorizes multidimensional poverty into three levels: Vulnerable Multidimensional Poverty Index (VMPI), General Multidimensional Poverty Index (GMPI), and Extreme Multidimensional Poverty Index (EMPI), following MPI criteria. Furthermore, we investigate the mediating role of social capital in the smartphone-multidimensional poverty relationship through a mediating effects analysis. We used the survey data of 382 sample out-of-poverty rural households in Jiangxi, China, in 2020. Our results indicated that: (1) Education (37.80%), labor force (29.7%), and health (20.40%) were identified as the primary contributors to multidimensional poverty. (2) Increasing deprivation categories correlated with declining multidimensional poverty index, following an inverted U-shaped pattern. (3) Smartphone usage significantly reduced VMPI (57.6%), GMPI (52.6%), and EMPI (5%). (4) Social capital fully mediated EMPI reduction through smartphones (91.67%), and partially mediated VMPI (14.09%) and GMPI (20.84%) reduction. These insights inform targeted policy formulation for rural multidimensional poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identified and compared pathways of childhood undernutrition among 308 rural and 310 urban children from low-income households in the Philippines. Multidisciplinary analyses based on quantitative and qualitative data revealed unique urban and rural constraints accounting for differing nutritional outcomes. Urban poor families were more food secure, though vegetable avoidance and poor micronutrient adequacy were observed. Rather than mitigate threats to undernutrition, rural households' reliance on home food agriculture heightened risk to food insecurity, as the Philippines is vulnerable to crop-destroying tropical storms. Our findings suggest the need to strengthen local governance institutions to implement context-specific multisectoral interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Child streetism, a concept that describes the desperate situations of children working, living, or surviving on the street, is a complex phenomenon and one of the challenges posed by urban poverty worldwide. Purpose: The increased study of street children in Nigerian urban centres over the last 10 years has seen the accumulation of evidence underpin new policies to address this worldwide problem. This article summarizes the determinants of child streetism, the risks associated with it (violence, street gangsterism, drugs and substance abuse), and the intervention policies and programmes for street children in Nigeria. Methods and approach: The article is based on a textual narrative synthesis analysis of the relevant literature published between 2012 and 2023. Findings: Analysis of the literature shows that street children engage in harmful and risky behaviours and are caught in a cycle of abuse and poverty. Interventions to help street children are generally hampered by a lack of understanding of the causes, impacts, situations, and general characteristics. The literature suggests that the most successful interventions typically capitalize on people's strengths, incorporate elements of participation, self‐help, and mutual support, and take the least stigmatizing approach. Policy implications: Child streetism is an expression of a complicated web of determinants that require structural solutions. Any policy addressing the problem of child streetism must consider the phenomenon as a product of several complex and interrelated factors. Of these, uncontrolled urbanization, poor urban planning and management, and poverty are the most obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concealed dimensions of urban poverty, shedding light on the often-overlooked struggles that exist behind the facades of prosperity in bustling city centers. From housing insecurity and informal economies to education disparities and healthcare deserts, the hidden aspects of urban poverty present a multifaceted challenge that demands attention. The abstract delves into the invisible barriers that individuals and families face, such as limited access to quality education, employment challenges, and the social stigma associated with poverty. Additionally, it highlights the resilience within impoverished urban communities and the grassroots efforts aimed at addressing these hidden struggles. Unveiling the complexities of urban poverty is crucial for crafting comprehensive solutions that uplift those facing invisible challenges and fostering a future where the shadows of poverty are replaced with opportunities for growth and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study marks the initial phase of a project aimed at exploring how urban poverty affects children's educational processes through an analysis of space-related issues. Cities, increasingly home to growing populations, serve as hubs where people globally encounter contemporary opportunities and challenges in accessing fundamental rights such as education, health, housing, and security. The distinguishing factor among residents sharing the same city is the pervasive phenomenon of inequality. Inequality not only shapes spatial experiences but also influences the conditions of poverty and deprivation in terms of consumption patterns. Thus, consumption behaviors permeate all aspects of life and serve as crucial criteria for social inclusion and exclusion, reflecting one's social existence. The exclusion of those unable to consume as much as others from social environments and living spaces is a widespread consequence of capitalist urbanization. This study focuses on the lived experiences of poverty and deprivation within the framework of urban poverty, social exclusion, and spatial segregation--common outcomes of inequality in modern cities. Conducted in neighbourhoods heavily populated by the urban poor in the Menteşe district of Muğla province, the study employs a case study model. It aims to illuminate participants' experiences related to space, issues concerning urban life practices, experiences with social assistance, and consumption behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfer payments play a crucial role in combating poverty in countries. However, the effectiveness of transfer payments in alleviating poverty remains controversial due to variations in environmental factors, economic development, and cultural contexts across different nations. In this study, we employ counterfactual causal inference to examine the influence of government transfer payments on poverty. By utilizing data from China, we present new evidence that sheds light on related issues. Our findings reveal that transfer payments have a negative impact on the overall income of rural poor households. This can be attributed to a decrease in labor supply among rural poor residents who receive such payments, resulting in reduced wage income. Additionally, transfer payments lead to decreased expenditure on food and increased spending on healthcare. These changes in total income and consumption patterns indicate that China's current transfer payment policy has short-term efficacy by meeting the basic living security needs of rural poor residents and improving their health conditions. However, the lack of significant changes in education spending suggests that transfer payments have little long-term effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial inclusion (FI) literature claims that expanding access of the poor to consumer credit in the formal financial system is an instrument to alleviate poverty. This view has been increasingly challenged by the financialization literature, which highlights unsustainable indebtedness of low-income borrowers following the introduction of FI policies. While a welcome contribution and antidote to mainstream assessments, much of the financialization literature on Brazil has, to date, focused on a macro-oriented analysis. As a major testing ground for FI, a better understanding of these dynamics in Latin America's largest country deepens our understanding of the socio-economic consequences of inserting poor populations into the financial system. This paper contributes to the financialization literature by drawing on interviews conducted in a Rio de Janeiro slum to understand how debt dynamics operate in everyday life, along with its structural conditioners. It shows that FI policies provide limited consumption smoothing and instead increase the structural vulnerability of low-income households. Wage and welfare support along with greater oversight and control of financial products supplied to low-income borrowers are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates what drives local variations when pursuing urban–rural equity in social welfare provision in China. We examine how internal features, top-down pressure and horizontal competition have shaped local governments' decisions to adopt a policy that unifies (yitihua) the urban and rural eligibility thresholds of the world's largest means-tested cash transfer programme (dibao). We collected and coded policies that unify urban–rural dibao thresholds in 336 prefecture-level divisions between 2011 and 2019. Event history analysis showed that internal fiscal constraint – primarily cost concerns – drove local policy adoption; top-down pressure from provincial governments with a high degree of coercive power in policy directives exerted a significant impact; and the horizontal competition's effect was insignificant. Our findings indicate that fiscal arrangements and top-down policy directives from superior governments with higher coercive power are potent tools to accelerate the adoption of a social welfare policy that would otherwise be unappealing for local officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a product of various deprivations. Gender discrimination is linked with deprivation in terms of socio-economic and political opportunities. This study explores the link between female-headship of a household and its vulnerability towards urban poverty. Further, the most vulnerable sub-sections among the urban female-headed households are identified. The study is based on the 68th round of Household Consumer Expenditure, and Employment and Unemployment Survey, India. Female-headed households were found to have higher odds to be urban poor as compared to their male counterparts. However, this gender-based difference in odds to be urban poor disappears once educational attainment of household-head is controlled for. This highlights that the discrimination in terms of educational attainment is major cause and solution to urban poverty among female-headed households. Further, female-headed households are not a homogeneous group and exhibit significant differences in their vulnerability to urban poverty across different socio-economic and demographic subgroups. The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on female education in India is expected to create a long-term gender gap in terms of poverty. Thus, the public policy should stress on skill and educational attainment of females and target the poverty alleviation programmes on vulnerable sub-section of the female-headed households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the evolution of inequalities, poverty, and social exclusion in Bulgaria. The analysis of income inequality is focused not only on the general dynamics but also on the different parts of the income distribution (mainly the two ends of the distribution). Different concepts of income are considered: primary (market) income, income before and after social transfers, and net income. This makes it possible to assess the role of social transfers and taxes on inequality. All other conditions being equal, the levels of the considered inequalities predetermine the positive or negative development of the economy in the country as a whole. Maintaining the balance between rich and poor and achieving the optimal limits of inequality in real life is the key point to the prosperity of any society. The results of the analysis can be used as a basis for the further study of their influence on social, political, and cultural processes in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myanmar experienced multiple COVID shocks as well as a military takeover in February 2021. Impacts on household poverty remain uncertain, however, because large‐scale in‐person surveys were impossible during the pandemic and heightened internal conflict. We use ex ante simulation models and phone survey evidence to estimate the poverty effects of these shocks and identify factors correlated with them. While each approach has limitations, and cannot explicitly validate each other, they both indicate rising rural and urban poverty and capital‐depleting coping mechanisms. Wider use of simulation modeling could help mobilize social protection faster than waiting for survey results in emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty is a phenomenon understood as the result of conditions extrinsic and intrinsic to the household, although it is within this space where it manifests with greater intensity. This article identifies and analyzes the strategies deployed by households and, particularly, by women as the main historical responsible parties for the management of household resources to mitigate the causes and consequences of energy poverty in an electricitydependent urban locality in Argentina. Using the focus group technique, the study takes the voices of the protagonists and their experiences to qualitatively identify and analyze the strategies and practices women deploy in their daily lives to alleviate the consequences of energy poverty. These strategies and practices impact the organization of household resources and the physical and mental health of women due to their role in domestic and caregiving tasks. Although the women's proposal is to build learning spaces about energy usage that bolster their strategies, this would further reinforce the gendered distribution of domestic labor, which is why this paper suggests the design of multi-scalar policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pregnant women in urban poor societies are vulnerable groups. Due to low financial capacity, there are obstacles to accessing delivery in an institution for poor women in urban areas. The study analyses factors associated with the delivery place among pregnant women in urban poor society in Indonesia. Materials and Methods: The study analyzed secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). A total of 1,562 samples were childbearing-age women (15–49 years) who gave birth in an urban poor society in Indonesia in the last 5 years. The study examined some variables, such as delivery place, age, education, employment, marital status, parity, insurance, knowledge of pregnancy danger, antenatal care (ANC), the autonomy of health, and family finance autonomy. The study employed binary logistic regression in the final stage. Results: The results show that age is associated with the place of delivery. The higher the education, the higher the possibility for delivery in an institution. Being employed and having partners are protective factors for women in institution delivery. The likelihood of giving birth in a medical facility decreases as more children are born alive. In addition, having health insurance, thorough ANC visits, knowledge of pregnancy danger symptoms, and health autonomy are protective factors for pregnant women having deliveries in medical facilities. On the contrary, pregnant women who rely solely on family financing have a higher chance of delivering in a medical facility. Conclusion: The study concluded that 10 variables were associated with pregnant women's delivery in Indonesia's urban poor society: age, education, employment, marital, parity, insurance, pregnancy danger knowledge, ANC, health autonomy, and family finance autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The countryside is the principal area of population agglomeration with a high incidence of global poverty problems. As a shelter for the daily life of rural inhabitants, the rural buildings constitute the element of rural settlements. Moreover, they can directly characterize the level of rural development. Therefore, in the new stage of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study selected Laos as the main study area and investigated the effect of different factors on the spatial heterogeneity of rural development based on the rural building spatial database. With the geodetector, the results are summarized as follows: (1) The spatial pattern of rural buildings in different regions of Laos varies significantly, with hot spots areas of rural buildings mainly located in the central and southern regions, while cold spots areas are mainly concentrated in the northern region. (2) Slope, transport infrastructure, and public service are the dominant elements influencing the spatial differentiation of rural buildings in Laos, but spatial heterogeneity existed in different regions of factors. (3) The interaction detector shows that slope ∩ road is the dominant interaction factor influencing the spatial distribution pattern of rural buildings nationwide, and there are marked divergences in the interaction factors. Finally, this study combines the findings to propose corresponding countermeasures for promoting the development and construction of rural areas in Laos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the incidence of financial institutions' dynamics of depth and access in the effect of income inequality on poverty and the severity of poverty in 42 sub‐Saharan African countries from 1980 to 2019. The Gini index is used to measure income inequality while poverty is measured as the poverty headcount ratio, and the severity of poverty is generated as the square of the poverty gap index. An interactive quantile regression approach is used as an empirical strategy. Income inequality unconditionally increases poverty dynamics while the financial institutions' depth and access mitigate the adverse effects of income inequality on poverty dynamics. Financial institutions' policy thresholds or minimum financial institution levels needed to completely dampen the adverse effects of income inequality on poverty dynamics are provided. The findings are contingent on existing levels of poverty, poverty measurement, and proxies for financial institutions. Policy implications are discussed. Related Articles: Abdulai, Abdul‐Gafaru, Justice Nyigmah Bawole, and Emmanuel Kojo Sakyi. 2018. "Rethinking Persistent Poverty in Northern Ghana: The Primacy of Policy and Politics over Geography." Politics & Policy 46(2): 233–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12250. Adegboye, Alex, Kofo Adegboye, Uwalomwa Uwuigbe, Stephen Ojeka, and Eyitemi Fasanu. 2023. "Taxation, Democracy, and Inequality in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Relevant Linkages for Sustainable Development Goals." Politics & Policy 51(4): 696–722. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12547. Nchofoung, Tii, Simplice Asongu, Vanessa Tchamyou, and Ofeh Edoh. 2022. "Gender, Political Inclusion, and Democracy in Africa: Some Empirical Evidence." Politics & Policy 51(1): 137–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12505. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to develop a measurement of spiritual poverty for an urban residents based on the spiritual concept and practice of purifying of the self (Tazkiyah Al-Nafs). This follows the process of cleansing of the self, where the nature of bad practices are replaced with those of good practices. A quantitative approach was utilised by distributing questionnaires to 528 urban Muslim households in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, Malaysia, which was then analysed using descriptive analysis. This was, then, followed by the usability assessments by 14 experts from academia and industry, where the data was analysed using the 'fuzzy delphi method'. Findings indicated that 27.84% of respondents experienced spiritual poverty relating to the emotional indicator, 17.42% experienced from a perceptual indicator, while 91.86% of respondents experienced poverty from a practices indicator perspective. The study points out that the elements of emotion, perception and practice as indicators holds significance in measuring spiritual poverty with a percentage expert consensus of 78.6% on emotion and perception indicators and 85.7% on practices indicator. The results gives credence to the expansion of the concept of multidimensional poverty, to include measuring psycho-spiritual deprivations as one component of poverty in addition to measuring both monetary and non-monetary factors as currently being advocated. This study calls for further exploration of this important area relating to self development, which has been overlooked in poverty measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ending poverty in all its forms is the first of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, it is of great significance to study poverty in the context of sustainable development. After eradicating absolute poverty, constructing a long-term mechanism to solve relative poverty is an inevitable requirement for achieving common prosperity in China. Therefore, it is extremely important that relative poverty is accurately identified and quantitatively decomposed. This paper adjusts the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke poverty index to propose a new methodology for relative poverty decomposition comprising growth, dispersion, heterogeneity, and identification effect. Based on China Family Panel Studies data from 2014 to 2018, the empirical analysis reveals the contributions to relative poverty made by growth, dispersion, heterogeneity, and identification effects. Specifically, the growth effect reduces the incidence of relative poverty; dispersion effect worsens relative poverty by affecting the depth of poverty; the heterogeneity effect depends on the heterogeneous characteristics of the population; the identification effect aggregates relative poverty by acting mainly on poverty incidence. We also compare the four relative poverty effects in urban versus rural areas. The findings show that dispersion effect and heterogeneity effect are keys to the differences. In particular, dispersion effect differences arise from income disparities, while heterogeneity effect differences depend on heterogeneous characteristics such as education, health insurance, and migrant work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A failure of urban planning in many developing countries is evidenced by encroachment on road reservations. Urban planning literature suggests that such encroachment is largely explained by poverty and urban growth. But how do encroachers find space in the road reservations? This paper examines encroachment along the Anloga Junction to Ejisu section of the Kumasi--Accra highway in Ghana. It argues that formal rules are not effective in governing the road reservations: informal rules rooted in social networks of reciprocity matter more. The research involved interviews with encroachers, senior officials from government institutions and traditional authorities. It emerged that encroachers invoked mainly ethnic and political party ties with public officials to secure space in the road reservations. This occurred in an environment of non-enforcement of relevant laws, weak formal collaboration among public institutions, and inadequate political commitment. There is a need for effective application of the principles and methods of multi-stakeholder governance, linking improved legal regulation with informal processes, to achieve better outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the multidimensional poverty of the migrant workers. This paper also analyzed the migrant worker's household registration differences and multi-period analysis of the migrant workers. China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a household and social tracking survey data conducted by the Institute of Social Science Survey, was used in this article. Income, health, education, social security, living standards, and urban intergration were considered Multidimensional Poverty. This paper combines the A-F multidimensional poverty method and Foster's duration analysis method to construct a long-term multidimensional poverty index. Our results show that the long-term multidimensional poverty situation of the migrant workers is not severe but is mainly concentrated in certain dimensions and specific indicators. However, the long-term multidimensional poverty of the migrant workers is a persistent problem. Although the situation is gradually improving, the long-term negative impact of multidimensional poverty on individuals is increasingly prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article revisits a principle of distributive justice accepted by most, if not all, scholars of climate justice. The principle at stake, the limit, protects those who are very badly off from bearing the costs of climate change mitigation. The persistent noncompliance of developed states with their obligations toward burden sharing, however, means that this principle is increasingly in tension with successful climate change mitigation, given it seems to require that those in poverty have continued access to emissions in cases where alternative forms of energy are not provided. In the first half of the paper I outline this tension and show how the dominant expression of the limit in the literature, advanced by Henry Shue, must be abandoned. I argue that any attempt to articulate the limit in current circumstance, where the carbon budget is very scarce, must consider the climate harm associated with continued subsistence emissions. The second half of the article defends a principle, the exemption, which is best able to maintain the strong commitment to shielding those below the minimal threshold from the costs of mitigation, even in light of the potential harm that will result if they require emissions to fuel their energy needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the problem of urban poverty in Barcelona during the Bourbon Restoration period by focusing on the phenomenon of begging. It uses primary sources from the municipal government to explore policies connected with the prevention and repression of panhandling, as seen on three specific fronts: the models of asylum implemented to contain the problem; the devices and mechanisms of surveillance, financial assessment and background-checking applied to combat it; and the initiatives to reorganize the welfare system developed by civic leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource scarcity is a powerful construct in social sciences. However, explanations about how resources influence overall wellbeing are difficult to generalize since much of the research on scarcity focuses on relatively affluent marketplace conditions, limiting its usefulness to large segments of the global population living in poverty. Conversely, poverty research provides cultural insights into resource deprivation, yet it stops short of explaining the systematic variation of scarce resources among impoverished individuals. To bridge these intellectual silos and advance a deeper understanding of scarcity, we integrate resource scarcity research, which builds upon a psychological tradition to understand various forms of everyday deprivation, with poverty research, which builds upon a sociological tradition to understand extreme and enduring deprivation. We propose a novel framework that integrates the concept of consumption adequacy and clarifies resource scarcity's forms, intensity, duration, and dynamic trajectories. We leverage this framework to generate a research agenda, and we propose ways to stimulate dialog among scarcity and poverty scholars, policymakers, and organizations to help inform impoverished life circumstances and generate effective solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social protection can be used as an effective policy instrument to achieve zero poverty. A considerable percentage of households in Sri Lanka are still suffering from poverty, reflecting the fact that the existing social protection system does not correctly address the heterogeneity of poverty. This study examines the outreach and impact of social protection on poverty in the context of the spatial heterogeneity of poverty. The reasons and nature of poverty are different according to the different poverty levels and spatial disparities. However, the existing social protection system does not accurately target these disparities. The outreach and impact of social protection are low since the current system does not adjust according to the inflation rate and spatial poverty lines. Hence, it is essential to reformulate the existing social protection system considering the spatial factors and different poverty categories while implementing a rigorous method to select the beneficiaries and benefits of social protection by considering inflation and district-level poverty lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]