Value of statistical life year in extreme poverty: a randomized experiment of measurement methods in rural Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Value of a Statistical Life Year (VSLY) provides an important economic measure of an individual's trade-off between health risks and other consumption, and is a widely used policy parameter. Measuring VSLY is complex though, especially in low-income and low-literacy communities. METHODS: Using a large randomized experiment (N = 3027), we study methodological aspects of stated-preference elicitation with payment cards (price lists) in an extreme poverty context. In a 2 × 2 design, we systematically vary whether buying or selling prices are measured, crossed with the range of the payment card. RESULTS: We find substantial effects of both the pricing method and the list range on elicited VSLY. Estimates of the gross domestic product per capita multiplier for VSLY range from 3.5 to 33.5 depending on the study design. Importantly, all estimates are economically and statistically significantly larger than the current World Health Organization threshold of 3.0 for cost-effectiveness analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our results inform design choice in VSLY measurements, and provide insight into the potential variability of these measurements and possibly robustness checks.

The Levels and Trends in Deep and Extreme Poverty in the United States, 1993-2016.

Recently, there has been tremendous interest in deep and extreme poverty in the United States. We advance beyond prior research by using higher-quality data, improving measurement, and following leading standards in international income research. We estimate deep (less than 20% of medians) and extreme (less than 10% of medians) poverty in the United States from 1993 to 2016. Using the Current Population Survey, we match the income definition of the Luxembourg Income Study and adjust for underreporting using the Urban Institute's TRIM3 model. In 2016, we estimate that 5.2 to 7.2 million Americans (1.6% to 2.2%) were deeply poor and 2.6 to 3.7 million (0.8% to 1.2%) were extremely poor. Although deep and extreme poverty fluctuated over time, including declines from 1993 to 1995 and 2007 to 2010, we find significant increases from lows in 1995 to peaks in 2016 in both deep (increases of 48% to 93%) and extreme poverty (increases of 54% to 111%). We even find significant increases with thresholds anchored at 1993 medians. With homelessness added, deep poverty would be 7% to 8% higher and extreme poverty 19% to 23% higher in 2016, which suggests that our estimates are probably lower bounds. The rise of deep/extreme poverty is concentrated among childless households. Among households with children, the expansion of SNAP benefits has led to declines in deep/extreme poverty. Ultimately, we demonstrate that estimates of deep/extreme poverty depend critically on the quality of income measurement.

The Nigerian Twin and Sibling Registry: An Update.

Here we provide an update of the 2013 report on the Nigerian Twin and Sibling Registry (NTSR). The major aim of the NTSR is to understand genetic and environmental influences and their interplay in psychological and mental health development in Nigerian children and adolescents. Africans have the highest twin birth rates among all human populations, and Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Due to its combination of large population and high twin birth rates, Nigeria has one of the largest twin populations in the world. In this article, we provide current updates on the NTSR samples recruited, recruitment procedures, zygosity assessment and findings emerging from the NTSR.

The impact of an income-generating activities programme on children and mothers' undernutrition in extreme poor rural Bangladeshi households.

OBJECTIVE: The current study assessed changes in children and mothers' nutritional status before and after raising Bangladeshi households out of extreme poverty through an income-generating activities (IGA) programme. DESIGN: Extreme poor households took part in the IGA programme for 2 years and recruitment took place over four waves in annual cycles. Children and mothers were measured with regarding their nutritional status before and after the IGA programme commenced. SETTINGS: Rural Bangladesh. SUBJECTS: Three-hundred and eighty-two children under 5 years of age at recruitment, and their mothers. RESULTS: After 2 years of the IGA programme, the prevalence of stunting significantly declined from 40·3 % to 33·0 % (P = 0·003), anaemia declined from 51·6 % to 44·0 % (P = 0·020) while mothers' CED (Chronic Energy Deficiency) declined from 52·0 % to 42·7 % (P < 0·001), but no significant changes were found in children's wasting, declining from 25·4 % to 21·5 %, underweight which remained the same at 43·2 %, while mothers' anaemia rose from 39·3 % to 42·7 %. There were also highly significant improvements in household socio-economic status. Increases in socio-economic security (especially in relation to cash savings and net income) and improvements in food quantity and quality (indicated by greater food diversity and animal food intake) were associated with normal nutritional status, and cessation of open defecation was associated with reduction in mothers' and child anaemia. CONCLUSION: The IGA programme was associated with increased household socio-economic security, such as asset accumulation, food security and sanitation, and with improvements in the nutritional status of children and their mothers in extreme poor households.

Measuring the effect of health on the income of people living in extreme poverty: A comparative cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Through a review of the literature, we have observed that existing studies primarily focus on defining and measuring poverty, identifying the factors that affect poverty, and proposing anti-poverty strategies. The impact of health on income in the context of extreme poverty has not been adequately studied. In China, 30 million people live below the poverty line, and poverty caused by illness accounts for nearly 44% of the total number of recorded incidents. Health impaired by disease has become the largest obstacle to escaping extreme poverty. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether health has a greater effect on the incomes of individuals in the extreme poverty group compared with the nonimpoverished group. METHODS: The poverty threshold of China in 2010 was adopted for the definition of extreme poverty. The China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) Database 2014 was selected as the data source. Ordinary least squares (OLS) test was conducted to estimate the model, and the endogeneity of the variables was analyzed by the random effects model. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was used instead of body mass index (BMI) to perform the robustness test. RESULTS: We found that the influence of individual health conditions on income was augmented in the case of extreme poverty, which indicates that health indeed influences income more strongly for individuals in the extreme poverty group. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to education, investment, and social security projects, further public policy attention should be given to the improvement of the health status of the extremely impoverished population.

The relationship of undernutrition/psychosocial factors and developmental outcomes of children in extreme poverty in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Extreme poverty is severe deprivation of basic needs and services. Children living in extreme poverty may lack adequate parental care and face increased developmental and health risks. However, there is a paucity of literature on the combined influences of undernutrition and psychosocial factors (such as limited play materials, playground, playtime, interactions of children with their peers and mother-child interaction) on children's developmental outcomes. The main objective of this study was, therefore, to ascertain the association of developmental outcomes and psychosocial factors after controlling nutritional indices. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was used to compare the developmental outcomes of extremely poor children (N = 819: 420 girls and 399 boys) younger than 5 years versus age-matched reference children (N = 819: 414 girls and 405 boys) in South-West Ethiopia. Using Denver II-Jimma, development in personal-social, language, fine and gross motor skills were assessed, and social-emotional skills were evaluated using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE). Nutritional status was derived from the anthropometric method. Independent samples t-test was used to detect mean differences in developmental outcomes between extremely poor and reference children. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to identify nutritional and psychosocial factors associated with the developmental scores of children in extreme poverty. RESULTS: Children in extreme poverty performed worse in all the developmental domains than the reference children. Among the 819 extremely poor children, 325 (39.7%) were stunted, 135 (16.5%) were underweight and 27 (3.3%) were wasted. The results also disclosed that stunting and underweightness were negatively associated with all the developmental skills. After taking into account the effects of stunting and being underweight on the developmental scores, it was observed that limited play activities, limited child-to-child interactions and mother-child relationships were negatively related mainly to gross motor and language performances of children in extreme poverty. CONCLUSION: Undernutrition and psychosocial factors were negatively related to the developmental outcomes, independently, of children living in extreme poverty. Intervention, for these children, should integrate home-based play-assisted developmental stimulation and nutritional rehabilitation.

Effects of home-based play-assisted stimulation on developmental performances of children living in extreme poverty: a randomized single-blind controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Children living with foster families in a resource-limited setting such as Ethiopia are at risk of developmental problems. It is not yet clear whether intensive home-based developmental stimulation assisted by play can reduce these problems. The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of play-assisted intervention integrated into basic services on the developmental performance of children living with foster families in extreme poverty. METHODS: A randomized single-blind (investigator) controlled trial design was used. The study was conducted in Jimma, South West Ethiopia. Using computer-generated codes, eligible children of 3-59 months in age were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 39) and control (n = 39) groups at a 1:1 ratio. Children in the intervention group received home-based play-assisted stimulation in addition to the basic services provided to children in both groups. The intervention consisted of an hour of play stimulation conducted during a weekly home visit over the course of six months. Personal-social, language, fine and gross motor outcomes were assessed using Denver II-Jimma, and social-emotional outcome was obtained using an adapted Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE). Information about sociodemographic characteristics was collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric methods were used to determine nutritional status. The effects of the intervention on the abovementioned outcomes over the study period and group differences in change over time were examined using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). RESULTS: Statistically significant intervention effects were found for language (P = 0.0014), personal-social (P = 0.0087) and social-emotional (P <  0.0001) performances. At the midline of the study, language (effect size = 0.34) and social-emotional (effect size = - 0.603) benefits from the play-assisted stimulation had already been observed for the children in the intervention group. For language, the intervention effect depended on the child's sex (P = 0.0100) and for personal-social performance, on family income (P = 0.0300). CONCLUSIONS: Intensive home-based play-assisted stimulation reduced the developmental problems of children in foster families in the context of extreme poverty. Longer follow-up may reveal further improvements in the developmental performance of the children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 17 November 2016, Study Identifier: NCT02988180 .

Othering and agency erosion of older adults living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh.

Offering fresh perspectives on the lived experience of ageing in extreme poverty, this article delves into unpacking the relationally driven processes of social, institutional, and self-othering that contribute to agency erosion in older adults. Positing that the context of extreme poverty in which a person ages is micropolitically shaped, where society, institutions, and ageing self interact in a complex way, it is argued that ageing in extreme poverty, inter alia, means ageing in subaltern conditions. A critical consequence of this process is the subjugation of older adults, leading to a life marked by the state of 'social death'. Additional research is needed to unpack such nuances to better understand ageing processes in extreme poor societies. This necessitates an approach informed by postcolonial perspectives that take into account the dynamics of othering and agency erosion. It concludes by asserting that to reverse extreme poverty among older adults as well as to reverse their subaltern conditions requires a political project that empowers the older adults in society, restores agency and strengthens their 'relational security'.

Beyond Economics! The (Evolving) Role of Law in the Eradication of Extreme Poverty.

Extreme poverty is a complex and multifaceted challenge that cannot be solely addressed through economic interventions. Traditional economic indicators, such as GDP, do not fully capture the realities of vulnerable populations who often experience discrimination and social exclusion. This has legal and human rights implications, particularly in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa where extreme poverty is concentrated. In light of these concerns, this article critically examines the existing literature on poverty economics and law and presents an analysis of key data. Ultimately, the article argues for a comprehensive approach that prioritises law and justice as crucial components of efforts to achieve target 1 of the United Nations' Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. This approach should entail the establishment of legal frameworks that promote accountability for political actors and protect the rights of the poor.

Analysis of the Psychosocial Sphere of Older Adults in Extreme Poverty in the Peruvian Amazon.

The situation of social exclusion in which older adults live in extreme poverty is a problem that leads to psychological alterations such as depression or cognitive deterioration. Our objective was to analyze the living conditions and the psychosocial sphere of older adult people living in extreme poverty in Requena del Tapiche in Peru. This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Sixty participants between 60 and 100 years of age of both sexes were included who gave their informed consent. Sociodemographic variables were analyzed, and the Gijón, family Apgar, Yesavage, and Pfeiffer scales were used. The sample was composed of 55% women and 45% men, with a mean age of 79.2 years (SD 6.67). More than half live alone or with their spouse. Fifty-seven percent sleep on the floor or on wood, and about 82% do not have safe water. Family dysfunction is found in 40%, and 98% are at social risk or with an established social problem and a precarious economic situation. More than 60% suffer from depressive symptoms, which are more frequent in women. We conclude that older adults perceive deficient family support, observing a deteriorated social situation. Most of them are at risk of social exclusion and loneliness, making them more vulnerable. They show sadness, with a high rate of depression. People with more cognitive impairment live alone, and those in social exclusion suffer a higher degree of depression. More cooperative projects and health promotion interventions developed in the peripheral neighborhoods of Requena del Tapiche are needed to improve the impact on the health of older adult people in extreme poverty.

Evaluation of Mexican poverty reduction policies under the COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

From 2019 to 2020, the Mexican economy declined for two consecutive years, especially in the last one when it was hit by a decline of 8.4% before the COVID-19 pandemic impacts which was not only one of the worst in the OECD club, but also the deepest economic recession since 1932 in the national history. At the same time, both the number of people in poverty and poverty rate in 2020 have increased compared with those registered in 2018. Through the analysis, we can find that the current Mexican government has increased the intensity and scope of the implementation of social relief policies adhered to the principal of "for the good of all, first the poor (Por el bien de todos, Primero los pobres)." However, in the context of recession caused by the COVID-19, neither the general decrease in residents' income could be avoided, nor the number of people in poverty has been reduced. Besides, in accordance with the benefits obtained by the distinct household deciles based on the income and expenditure survey published by INEGI, it showed that the implementation of government relief measures has relatively reduced the support for the low-income people and further aggravated the deterioration of poverty due to its indifferent application with respect to high-income households and the low-income ones. Therefore, the deficiencies in the response implemented in the face of the epidemic, especially poverty alleviation actions and social relief policies, have further enhanced the poverty problem at least partially. In this sense, recover and improve the economic growth rate as soon as possible will not enough to reduce the poverty, and it should be accompanied by the necessary adjustments in the poverty alleviation measures and social relief policies, especially with a focalized approach inclined to the low-income segments of the population.

How far has Africa gone in achieving sustainable development goals? Exploring African dataset.

The dataset describes the status of African countries on the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Datasets on SDG Index (SDGI) scores and other selected variables were compiled from relevant secondary sources. Graphical illustrations were used to describe the type of association existing between the SDGI scores and each of the selected variables to corroborate [1]. Further rigorous statistical analysis can be carried out using these data, in conjunction with other datasets to establish scientifically proven cause and effect relationships among the variables.

Empowering the poor: A field study of the social psychological consequences of receiving autonomy or dependency aid in Panama.

This field study investigated the consequences of receiving poverty aid through conditional transfer programmes in the form of autonomy-oriented help (i.e., cash) or dependency-oriented help (i.e., vouchers) in impoverished rural communities in Panama. The empowering effects of autonomy- (vs. dependency-) help have so far only been studied in laboratory settings, or in settings where help could easily be refused. Little is known about the reactions of people who rely on help for extended periods of time. This study provides insights into how aid recipients are influenced by the type of aid they receive. Results showed that, as expected, recipients of cash reported more autonomy, empowerment, and life improvements than recipients of vouchers. Training, another type of autonomy-oriented help, was positively related to empowerment, personal, and family change beliefs. These findings illustrate the benefits of autonomy-oriented help programmes in empowering people from extremely poor communities around the world, who rely on aid for extended periods of time.

Identifying the poor for premium exemption: a critical step towards universal health coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Premium exemption for the poor is a critical step towards achieving universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa due to the large proportion of the population living in extreme poverty who cannot pay premium. However, identifying the poor for premium exemption has been a big challenge for SSA countries. This paper is a succinct review of four methods available for identifying the poor, outlining the ideal conditions under which each of the methods should be used and the drawbacks associated with using each of the methods.

The intersection of extreme poverty and familial mental health in the United States.

Approximately 22% of children in the United States live in poverty, with high rates of caregiver depression and child disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). The current study aims to explore the relationships between living in extreme poverty and both child and parent mental health. Data are comprised of findings from the first effectiveness study of the 4Rs and 2Ss intervention, in addition to preliminary data from an implementation study currently underway (n = 484). Families with an annual income of less than $9,999 reported significantly greater child DBD scores and prevalence of clinically significant levels of caregiver depressive symptoms compared to income levels over $10,000. Findings support the recommendation for parental mental health to be attended to within the context of child mental health services.

Prácticas educativas familiares (PEF) de familias en condición de extrema pobreza en Cartagena de Indias / Family Educational Practices (PEF) of families in extreme poverty conditions in Cartagena de Indias

Resumen Las prácticas educativas familiares, en el estudio realizado en la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias con familias en condición de pobreza extrema, nos permitió identificar los estilos educativos empleados gracias a los encuentros significativos estructurados desde un enfoque hermenéutico-participativo, donde fue posible analizar las narrativas de los participantes, habitantes del barrio Ciudad del Bicentenario. Este ejercicio investigativo nos reveló las costumbres, actitudes y formas que tienen los padres para orientar la crianza de sus hijos. Así mismo nos permitió registrar algunas de las necesidades del grupo participante.

Abstract The Family Educational Practices, in the study conducted in the city of Cartagena de Indias with families in extreme poverty condition, allowed us to identify the educational styles used thanks to the meaningful encounters, which were structured from a hermeneutic and participatory approach, where it was possible to analyze participants' narratives, who were residents of the Ciudad del Bicentenario neighborhood. This investigative exercise revealed the customs, attitudes and ways that parents have for their children's upbringing. Likewise, it allowed us to record some of the participant group's needs.

The social and treatment consequences of a shared delusional disorder in a homeless family.

OBJECTIVE: Delusional disorder is defined as a fixed, false belief that is held by a person despite evidence to the contrary. Shared psychotic disorder, also known as folie a' deux, psychosis by association and induced psychotic disorder, is an uncommon and unique psychiatric disorder. It is even more unusual when it occurs within families (folie a' famille). CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes the occurrence of a shared delusion within a family consisting of an adults on and two elderly parents. The shared delusion, which was the belief that a large financial settlement was a waiting to be disbursed to the family members by the local law enforcement agency, contributed to their state of homelessness and rejection of all offers of assistance from service providers. CONCLUSION: The impact of this shared psychotic disorder contributed to the family's state of extreme poverty and homelessness, which, as a consequence, greatly impeded the initiation of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.

Intereses ambientales prioritarios de la población en situación de pobreza extrema: estudio de caso: barrio el ensueño, córdoba, quindío / Priority environmental interests of the population in situation of extreme poverty: case study: barrio el ensueño, cordoba, quindío

El presente artículo analiza los intereses ambientales prioritarios de la población en situación de pobreza extrema del barrio El Ensueño, del municipio de Córdoba, y de las instituciones públicas y privadas que atienden esta población a través de sus programas para comprender los aspectos menos evidentes, como lo son el surgimiento de conflictos ambientales. Dada la complejidad del estudio se utilizó un enfoque metodológico de análisis-síntesis para dar cuenta de una investigación analítica, utilizando métodos cualitativos. Los conflictos entre las familias en situación de pobreza extrema y las entidades públicas y privadas seleccionadas para el estudio de caso obedecen a la debilidad institucional, que se traduce en el mínimo impacto que tienen los programas sociales y el alto nivel de centralismo en el cual los beneficiarios de los programas son seleccionados desde el nivel nacional obedeciendo más a criterios políticos que técnicos. Este hecho genera conflictos, no solo entre las entidades y las familias directamente implicadas, sino también entre las mismas entidades del Estado. En ese orden de ideas, los intereses ambientales prioritarios pueden ser un instrumento desde las ciencias ambientales para aportar a la evaluación de las políticas públicas en Colombia ya que permiten unificar variables económicas, sociales y ambientales a través de la visión integral de una problemática ambiental. De igual forma, en el escenario de implementación de un posible acuerdo de paz con la guerrilla de las FARC, en el que se prevé la necesidad de diseñar e implementar políticas públicas en construcción de paz para conciliar los conflictos sociales y ambientales de los territorios más golpeados por el conflicto armado, abordar los intereses ambientales prioritarios permitiría la identificación y triangulación de información social y ambiental para la resolución de estos.

This article discusses the priority environmental interests of the population in extreme poverty of the neighborhood El Ensueño, municipality of Cordoba, and of the public and private institutions that serve this population through their programs to understand the aspects less evident, as are the emergence of environmental conflicts. Given the complexity of the study used a methodological approach to analysis-synthesis to give an account of an analytical research, using qualitative methods. Conflicts between families in extreme poverty and the public and private institutions selected for the case study are due to the institutional weakness, that translates into minimal impact that have the social programs and the high level of centralism in which the beneficiaries of the programs are selected from the national level in obedience to political criteria more than technical ones. This fact gives rise to conflict, not only between the entities and their families directly involved, but also between the same entities of the State. In that order of ideas, the priority environmental interests can be an instrument from the environmental sciences to contribute to the evaluation of public policies in Colombia, because they allow you to consolidate economic variables, social environmental and through the holistic view of environmental problems. Similarly, in the deployment scenario of a possible peace agreement with the guerrillas of the FARC, which provides for the need to design and implement public policies in peace-building to reconcile the social and environmental conflicts of the territories hit hardest by the armed conflict, address environmental concerns priority would enable the identification and triangulation of social and environmental information for the resolution of these.

The Zero Hunger and Brazil without Extreme Poverty programs: a step forward in Brazilian social protection policy / Fome Zero e Brasil sem Miséria: um passo adiante na política brasileira de proteção social

Brazilian social protection programs have had consistent effects in reducing poverty and inequality among their respective target-groups: children, adolescents and pregnant and breastfeeding women. In 2011, the Brazil without Extreme Poverty program was launched as a strategy to eradicate extreme poverty by 2014. It makes the promotion of rights the core concept of the official political narrative. This study seeks to provide a systematic description of the Brazil without Extreme Poverty program and its initial results. A review of official documents and academic studies on the social protection programs was conducted. The Brazil without Extreme Poverty program represents an incremental approach to the social protection policies enacted by the previous administration. It advocates a multidimensional and focused approach, funded primarily by the federal government. The strategy subscribes to the international trend of associating social protection with employment and income generation policies.

Os programas de proteção social no Brasil tiveram efeitos consistentes na redução da pobreza e desigualdade em seus grupos-alvo: crianças, adolescentes, grávidas e nutrizes. Em 2010, o Brasil sem Miséria foi lançado como uma estratégia para erradicar a pobreza extrema até 2014. A promoção de direitos é o cerne de sua narrativa política oficial. O objetivo deste artigo é prover uma descrição sistemática do Brasil sem Miséria, bem como de seus resultados iniciais. Foi realizada revisão de documentos oficiais e estudos acadêmicos sobre os programas de proteção social. O programa Brasil sem Miséria representa uma abordagem incremental em relação às políticas de proteção social implementadas pelo governo anterior. Defende uma abordagem multidimensional e focalizada, financiada principalmente pelo governo federal. A estratégia adota a tendência internacional de associar proteção social a políticas de geração de emprego e renda.