Vulnerable Groups During Crisis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. DeYoung
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Vulnerable Groups

During crisis events such as humanitarian conflicts, population displacement, natural disasters, and others, some people are more vulnerable to long-term physical, psychological, and overall adverse outcomes. Aspects of context that affect vulnerability include: (a) the nature of the hazard or conflict event; (b) the geographic location and structural surroundings; and (c) involvement of key groups during crisis. The nature of the event includes barriers for access to well-being in high-income and low-income contexts, the speed of onset of the hazard, the scope and type of hazard (localized or catastrophic, natural or technological, and other factors). Geographic location and structural surroundings include factors such as isolation caused by an island context, structural mitigation (such as earthquake-resistant construction), pollution and environmental exposure, and implementation of land use planning or sustainable farming. Finally, with regard to involvement of key groups in crisis, it is important to consider ways in which group coordination, logistics, cultural competency, public policy, social movements, and other mechanisms can exacerbate or improve conditions for vulnerable groups. Groups more likely to experience adverse outcomes in disasters include: ethnic and racial minoritized persons, people considered to be low caste, women, children, infants, sexual minorities, religious minorities, elders, and immigrants and refugees. Displacement and relocation are associated with specific increases in exposure to food insecurity, human trafficking, and reduced access to reproductive care. Contextual factors are also related to the severity of the adverse outcomes these groups experience in crisis. These factors include access to healthcare, access to education, and economic status. There are also unique groups whose needs, social systems, and cultural factors increase barriers to evacuation, accessing warning information, or accessing safe sheltering. These groups include persons with functional and access needs including medical or cognitive impairments, elderly individuals, people with companion animals, and people with mental illness.

A descriptive study of the prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in the Canadian population: comparison between low-income and non-low-income populations

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Caron ◽  
A. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
High Psychological Distress

Objective This descriptive study compares rates of high psychological distress and mental disorders between low-income and non-low-income populations in Canada. Methods Data were collected through the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS 1.2), which surveyed 36 984 Canadians aged 15 or over; 17.9% (n = 6620) was classified within the low-income population using the Low Income Measure. The K-10 was used to measure psychological distress and the CIDI for assessing mental disorders. Results One out of 5 Canadians reported high psychological distress, and 1 out of 10 reported at least one of the five mental disorders surveyed or substance abuse. Women, single, separated or divorced respondents, non-immigrants and Aboriginal Canadians were more likely to report suffering from psychological distress or from mental disorders and substance abuse. Rates of reported psychological distress and of mental disorders and substance abuse were much higher in low-income populations, and these differences were statistically consistent in most of the sociodemographic strata. Conclusion This study helps determine the vulnerable groups in mental health for which prevention and promotion programs could be designed.

scholarly journals Economics of healthcare access in low-income and middle-income countries: a protocol for a scoping review of the economic impacts of seeking healthcare on slum-dwellers compared with other city residents

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e045441
Author(s):  
Noemia Teixeira de Siqueira-Filha ◽  
Jinshuo Li ◽  
Eliud Kibuchi ◽  
Zahidul Quayyum ◽  
Penelope Phillips-Howard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Impact ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Purchase Power Parity ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Power Parity ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Slum Dwellers ◽  
Scoping Reviews

IntroductionPeople living in slums face several challenges to access healthcare. Scarce and low-quality public health facilities are common problems in these communities. Costs and prevalence of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) have also been reported as high in studies conducted in slums in developing countries and those suffering from chronic conditions and the poorest households seem to be more vulnerable to financial hardship. The COVID-19 pandemic may be aggravating the economic impact on the extremely vulnerable population living in slums due to the long-term consequences of the disease. The objective of this review is to report the economic impact of seeking healthcare on slum-dwellers in terms of costs and CHE. We will compare the economic impact on slum-dwellers with other city residents.Methods and analysisThis scoping review adopts the framework suggested by Arksey and O’Malley. The review is part of the accountability and responsiveness of slum-dwellers (ARISE) research consortium, which aims to enhance accountability to improve the health and well-being of marginalised populations living in slums in India, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone and Kenya. Costs of accessing healthcare will be updated to 2020 prices using the inflation rates reported by the International Monetary Fund. Costs will be presented in International Dollars by using purchase power parity. The prevalence of CHE will also be reported.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for scoping reviews. We will disseminate our results alongside the events organised by the ARISE consortium and international conferences. The final manuscript will be submitted to an open-access international journal. Registration number at the Research Registry: reviewregistry947.

scholarly journals Analysis of client satisfaction - A case of customers’ containment availing services from Micro Finance Institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghulam Yaseen Veesar ◽  
Masood Hassan ◽  
Fayaz Ahmed ◽  
Rehan Muzammil
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Satisfaction Index ◽  
Finance Industry ◽  
Male Clients

The financial well-being of the people living in society is pivotal essential for the country's economic development. The distribution and access to wealth played important role in the economic activities of states. Micro-financing strategies utilized globally to promote distribution and circulation of money, increase access of people living in the low quintile of economic status to the wealth. Similar to global trends, the microfinance strategy was introduced, which is a rapidly growing sector in Pakistan for the last few decades. There are more than 45 registered micro-finance institutions (both for-profit and not-for-profit) that provide services to people at the low-income level in Pakistan. The current study analyzed the level of client satisfaction between private, public, and non-government organization Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs) operating at District Hyderabad of Sindh, Pakistan. The sample size of 300 clients receiving services from these MFIs, data collected by using random sampling technique on the instrument Likert Scale ranged from 1-5. The collected data processed through scientific methods factorial analysis, customer satisfaction index, and ANOVA. The results of the study presented that clients of non-government MFI are more satisfied as compared to public and private MFIs, male clients are more content to female, changes in family size and education change the level of client satisfaction, where age and monthly household income do not affect client satisfaction. In light of the study, it is recommended for MFIs to initiate client-centric policies especially in the public sector focus on the client glee in the response of services. In the micro-finance industry, female clients are the backbone; it is highly recommended to keep them in the center of attention during the development of policies to increase satisfaction levels.

scholarly journals Who Could Not Avoid Exposure to High Levels of Residence-Based Pollution by Daily Mobility? Evidence of Air Pollution Exposure from the Perspective of the Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem (NEAP)

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinlin Ma ◽  
Xijing Li ◽  
Mei-Po Kwan ◽  
Yanwei Chai
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Neighborhood Effect ◽  
Daily Mobility ◽  
Averaging Problem ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
High Pollution ◽  
Pollution Exposure

It has been widely acknowledged that air pollution has a considerable adverse impact on people’s health. Disadvantaged groups such as low-income people are often found to experience greater negative effects of environmental pollution. Thus, improving the accuracy of air pollution exposure assessment might be essential to policy-making. Recently, the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) has been identified as a specific form of possible bias when assessing individual exposure to air pollution and its health impacts. In this paper, we assessed the real-time air pollution exposure and residential-based exposure of 106 participants in a high-pollution community in Beijing, China. The study found that: (1) there are significant differences between the two assessments; (2) most participants experienced the NEAP and could lower their exposure by their daily mobility; (3) three vulnerable groups with low daily mobility and could not avoid the high pollution in their residential neighborhoods were identified as exceptions to this: low-income people who have low levels of daily mobility and limited travel outside their residential neighborhoods, blue-collar workers who spend long hours at low-end workplaces, and elderly people who face many household constraints. Public policies thus need to focus on the hidden environmental injustice revealed by the NEAP in order to improve the well-being of these environmentally vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals Social capital and sleep disorders in Tibet, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangla Ciren ◽  
Wanqi Yu ◽  
Qucuo Nima ◽  
Xiong Xiao ◽  
Junmin Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Unique Region ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Multi Stage

Abstract Objective Sleep plays an important role in the health and well-being of middle aged and elderly people, and social capital may be one of the important factors for sleep disorders. This study aimed to understand the relationship between social capital and sleep disorders in a unique region of China –Tibet that generally has the disadvantaged economic status compared to other parts of China. Methods The study was based on Tibetan data from The China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) and was conducted from May 2018 to September 2019. A total of 3194 Tibetans aged > 50 were selected from the community population by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. Social capital was measured using two validated health-related social capital scales, family/community and society.. Sleep disorders were measured as the presence of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, or daytime dysfunction. Logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between social capital and sleep disorders. Results 39.9% (1271/3194) of the participants had sleep disorders. In addition, after controlling for all potential variables, family social capital was significantly negatively associated with sleep disorders (OR = 0.95, P < 0.05), while community and society social capital was not associated with sleep disorders. Then, when we did all the sex-stratified analyses, the significant association between social capital and sleep disorders was found only in women (OR = 0.94, P < 0.05), while no association was found in males; neither males nor females showed any association with community and society social capital. Conclusion Our study would help to better understand the extent of health inequality in China, and guide future interventions, strategies and policies to promote sleep quality in low-income areas, taking into account both the role of Tibetan specific cultural traditions, lifestyles and religious beliefs in social capital and the gender differences in social capital.

scholarly journals Breaking Barriers to Healthcare Access: A Multilevel Analysis of Individual- and Community-Level Factors Affecting Women’s Access to Healthcare Services in Benin

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 750
Author(s):  
Betregiorgis Zegeye ◽  
Ziad El-Khatib ◽  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
National Education ◽  
Individual Level

Background: In low-income countries such as Benin, most people have poor access to healthcare services. There is scarcity of evidence about barriers to accessing healthcare services in Benin. Therefore, we examined the magnitude of the problem of access to healthcare services and its associated factors. Methods: We utilized data from the 2017–2018 Benin Demographic and Health Survey (n = 15,928). We examined the associations between the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of women using multilevel logistic regression. The outcome variable for the study was problem of access to healthcare service. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Results: Overall, 60.4% of surveyed women had problems in accessing healthcare services. Partner’s education (AOR = 0.70; 95% CI; 0.55–0.89), economic status (AOR = 0.59; 95% CI; 0.47–0.73), marital status (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI; 0.39–0.51), and parity (AOR = 1.85; 95% CI; 1.45–2.35) were significant individual-level factors associated with problem of access to healthcare. Region (AOR = 5.24; 95% CI; 3.18–8.64) and community literacy level (AOR = 0.69; 95% CI; 0.51–0.94) were the main community-level risk factors. Conclusions: Enhancing husband education through adult education programs, economic empowerment of women, enhancing national education coverage, and providing priority for unmarried and multipara women need to be considered. Additionally, there is the need to ensure equity-based access to healthcare services across regions.

scholarly journals From Resilience to Wellbeing at School among Romanian Students - Examining the Role of Social-Economic Status

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Elena Cocoradă ◽  
Anca Daniela Fărcaş ◽  
Ioana Emanuela Orzea
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Students ◽  
Positive Indicators ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Good Learning

Well-being in school is a dimension for overall life satisfaction and quality of life and more important for adolescents who are in a critical period of development and exposed to a variety of risk factors. This paper uses a quantitative approach and aims to analyze the relationship between resilience and well-being at school, focused on the role of socioeconomic status. The results show that students highly motivated and with good learning outcomes come from favored families. These students tend to be more resilient, have a positive orientation towards the future, a better well-being expressed by positive indicators than those students belonging to medium or low-income families. But socio-economically favored students are less satisfied with school than underprivileged students. Achievement motivation is an important predictor of well-being at school, both in middle and high schools. In high school students’ sample, well-being (positive indicators) significantly explains satisfaction with school. In middle school students’ sample, satisfaction with school is explained directly by resilience and, indirectly, through well-being expressed by negative indicators. Age-differentiated interventions that generate a supportive environment must be implemented for all: for students with low socio-economic status because they are less resilient and with lower overall well-being, but also for socio-economically favored students, because they are less satisfied with school.

scholarly journals On the margins of Healthcare: Role of Social Capital in Health of Migrants in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-358
Author(s):  
Shriyuta Abhishek ◽  
Nanda Kishore Kannuri
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Qualitative Component ◽  
Women Disabled

Social capital is a widely studied concept in sociology, philosophy and development economics since the late nineteenth century. In India, the various dogmas of the theory of social capital have not been studied to their potential, especially in the domain of public health. This study was conducted to determine healthcare access among migrants and their social capital, in order to explore the association between social capital and healthcare access. A mixed-method approach was adopted for the study. A survey (n=61) was conducted in a residential area in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh state, using Shortened Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool (SASCAT). The qualitative component of the study will be published separately. It was found that 78.6 percent of migrants have a ‘low’ social capital and 21.3 percent have a ‘high’ social capital. Fischer’s exact test showed that there is no significant association between the economic status and social capital of individuals (p=0.06). The research study concluded that there is a linkage between social capital and healthcare access. High social capital resulted in better healthcare access, especially among vulnerable groups (women, disabled and elderly people). The findings of the study helped in charting out the pathways of healthcare access within the framework of Bordieu’s theory of social capital. It can be said that the concept of social capital has remained unexplored by academia and policymakers alike. In order to improve the healthcare access of migrants, health systems must delve into the complex nuances around tenets of social capital in healthcare.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relationship Between Human Social Deprivation and Animal Surrender to Shelters in British Columbia, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lexis H. Ly ◽  
Emilia Gordon ◽  
Alexandra Protopopova
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Social Deprivation ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Residential Instability ◽  
Metro Vancouver ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Relationship

Previous studies identify owner-related issues, such as cost and housing, as common reasons for relinquishment of companion animals to animal shelters. It is likely that the burden of surrendering for owner-related reasons falls on those who are socially vulnerable (e.g., low income, unemployed); however, very few studies have assessed social determinants as a predictor of animal relinquishment. The present study used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which uses four factors of social vulnerability (Ethnocultural Composition, Economic Dependency, Residential Instability, and Situational Vulnerability) to predict risk of surrender for various reasons, of various species and breeds, and of various health statuses across British Columbia, Canada (n = 29,236). We found that CIMD factors predicted increased risk of surrender across many shelter variables. For further understanding of differences between areas in the province, the present study also analyzed the relationship between CIMD factors and animal surrender variables in two areas of interest: Metro Vancouver (n = 3,445) and Kamloops (n = 2,665), and plotted these relationships on a geospatial scale. We found that there were some similarities across areas, such as Situational Vulnerability predicting increased odds of surrendering pit bull-labeled dogs vs. all other dog breeds. There were also differences in predictors of animal surrender variables, suggesting that provision of animal services, such as veterinary care, for vulnerable groups may be specific to location. For example, whereas Ethnocultural Composition predicted increased risk of owner surrender for multiple owner-related reasons in Metro Vancouver, these same reasons for surrender were predicted by Residential Instability in Kamloops, indicating demographic differences that affect animal shelter service use. The results of this research validate the use of geospatial analysis to understand relationships between human vulnerability and animal welfare, but also highlight the need for further interventions in marginalized populations to increase retention of animals.

Helping undocumented children in an emerging Latino community

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Amalia Pesantes ◽  
Patricia I. Documet
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Latino Children ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secure Information ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
Access Problems

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the limitations of strategies that mothers of undocumented Latino children use in an emerging community to address the health needs of their children. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews with low-income immigrant mothers of undocumented Latino children (n=10) and social service providers (n=6). Interviews were transcribed, coded using Atlas-ti and analyzed to identify common perspectives on the strategies used to secure healthcare for uninsured undocumented children. Findings Mothers of undocumented Latino children struggle to secure healthcare for their children. Based on the principles of familismo and personalismo, they rely on social support networks such as friends, relatives and fellow churchgoers to secure information about available healthcare options. Despite the willingness of social and health service providers to help them access healthcare, options are limited and depend on the actions of individuals rather than organized solutions. Securing care for undocumented children using families, friends and sympathetic individual providers as the source of information and advice leads to fragile unsustainable solutions. Research limitations/implications This paper adds to the small yet growing literature of Latinos in emerging communities. Practical implications Emerging Latino communities are usually unprepared to welcome Latinos and address its various needs. Undocumented children are a particularly vulnerable group and any sustainable strategy to address their needs would require structural changes in existing health services to ensure that undocumented children’s lives are not affected by poor health. Originality/value Healthcare access problems for immigrant children are presented from the perspective of parents and offers a nuanced description of health systems unpreparedness to provide care for vulnerable groups whose immigrant status is poorly understood.

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