Income Mobility, Income Risk, and Welfare

Abstract This paper presents a framework for the quantitative analysis of individual income dynamics, mobility, and welfare, with ex ante identical individuals facing a stochastic income process and market incompleteness, implying that they are unable to insure against persistent shocks to income. We show how the parameters of the income process can be estimated using repeated cross-sectional data with a short panel dimension and use a simple consumption-saving model for quantitative analysis of mobility and welfare. Our empirical application, using data on individual incomes from Mexico, provides striking results. Most of the measured income mobility is driven by measurement error or transitory income shocks and is therefore (almost) welfare neutral. Only a small part of measured income mobility is due to either welfare-reducing income risk or welfare-enhancing catching-up of low-income individuals with high-income individuals, both of which, nevertheless, have economically significant effects on social welfare. Strikingly, roughly half of the mobility that cannot be attributed to measurement error or transitory income shocks is driven by welfare-reducing persistent income shocks. Decomposing mobility into its fundamental components is thus crucial from the standpoint of welfare evaluation.

Download Full-text

Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006–2009

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py16082 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 249 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Sue Kleve ◽

Zoe E. Davidson ◽

Emma Gearon ◽

Sue Booth ◽

Claire Palermo

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Population Health ◽

Low Income ◽

Home Ownership ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Income Levels ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Using Data

Food insecurity affects health and wellbeing. Little is known about the relationship between food insecurity across income levels. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and frequency of food insecurity in low-to-middle-income Victorian households over time and identify factors associated with food insecurity in these households. Prevalence and frequency of food insecurity was analysed across household income levels using data from the cross-sectional 2006–09 Victorian Population Health Surveys (VPHS). Respondents were categorised as food insecure, if in the last 12 months they had run out of food and were unable to afford to buy more. Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe factors associated with food insecurity in low-to-middle-income households (A$40000–$80000 in 2008). Between 4.9 and 5.5% for total survey populations and 3.9–4.8% in low-to-middle-income respondents were food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with limited help from friends, home ownership status, inability to raise money in an emergency and cost of some foods. Food insecurity exists in households beyond those on a very low income. Understanding the extent and implications of household food insecurity across all income groups in Australia will inform effective and appropriate public health responses.

Download Full-text

Intergenerational Income Mobility in Taiwan: Evidence from TS2SLS and Structural Quantile Regression

The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy ◽

10.1515/bejeap-2013-0008 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 257-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kamhon Kan ◽

I-Hsin Li ◽

Ruei-Hua Wang

Keyword(s):

Quantile Regression ◽

Regression Models ◽

Time Trend ◽

Income Elasticity ◽

Income Mobility ◽

Income Shocks ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Income Elasticities ◽

Intergenerational Income Mobility

Abstract We estimate intergenerational income mobility in Taiwan, employing repeated cross-sectional data. We find that the father–son, father–daughter, mother–son and mother–daughter income elasticities-at-40 are around 0.18, 0.23, 0.50 and 0.54, respectively. Moreover, the mother–child income elasticity increases slightly over children’s birth year, while the father–child elasticity is stable, but we do not find any time trend in elasticities. Since mean-regression results may not be informative in fast growing economies, we estimate relative mobility via structural quantile regression models. The results indicate that parents’ income affects children’s income mainly through the propagation of children’s income shocks, rather than affecting the level directly.

Download Full-text

Dental care utilization among children in Brazil: an exploratory study based on data from national household surveys

Ciência & Saúde Coletiva ◽

10.1590/1413-81232018242.03232017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 649-657 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jéssica Copetti Barasuol ◽

Leila Posenato Garcia ◽

Rafaella Coelho Freitas ◽

Debora Martini Dalpian ◽

José Vitor Nogara Borges Menezes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Formal Education ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Sample Surveys ◽

Dental Services ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Head Of Household ◽

Low Income Families ◽

Using Data

Abstract Wide availability of access to dental services can be considered a predictor of better oral health outcomes in a population. This article aims to compare data from the Brazilian National Household Sample Surveys (PNAD) on dental services utilization among children aged 4 to 12 years. This cross-sectional study was carried out using data from the 1998, 2003, and 2008 National Household Sample Surveys, involving a total of 61.438, 64.659 and 59.561 children, respectively. Ninety-nine percent confidence intervals were considered for the prevalence of each outcome of interest. In 1998, 60.8% (99%CI: 59.4;62.1) of children had been to a dentist; this prevalence was 65.5% (99%CI: 64.4;66.7) in 2003 and 73.8% (99%CI: 72.1;74.2) in 2008. In 1998, 41.2% (99%CI: 39.1;43.3) of children in the lowest household income quartile had been to a dentist; this value was 61.4% (99%CI: 59.5;63.2) in 2008. Among children from families whose head of household had 4 years of formal education or fewer, 49.5% and 63% had been to a dentist in 1998 and 2008, respectively. The lifetime prevalence of dentist attendance among Brazilian children increased between 1998 and 2008, especially among those from low-income families and those whose head of household had a low educational level.

Download Full-text

Self-reported disability in rural Malawi: prevalence, incidence, and relationship to chronic conditions

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15196.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 90

Author(s):

Josephine E. Prynn ◽

Albert Dube ◽

Elenaus Mwaiyeghele ◽

Oddie Mwiba ◽

Steffen Geis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Complex Concept ◽

Annual Survey ◽

Obesity And Diabetes ◽

Disability Prevalence ◽

Using Data ◽

One Year ◽

Over Time

Background: Disability is a complex concept involving physical impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction. The Washington Group developed a set of questions on six functional domains (seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, self-care, and communicating) to allow collection of comparable data on disability. We aimed to improve understanding of prevalence and correlates of disability in the low-income setting of Malawi. Methods: This study is nested in the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Malawi; the Washington Group questions were added to the annual survey in 2014. We used cross-sectional data from the 2014 survey to estimate the current prevalence of disability and examine associations of disability with certain chronic conditions. We then reviewed the consistency of responses to the questions over time using data from the 2015 survey. Results: Of 10,863 participants, 9.6% (95% CI 9.0-10.1%) reported disability in at least one domain. Prevalence was higher among women and increased with age. Obesity and diabetes were associated with disability, but hypertension and HIV were not. Participants reporting “no difficulty” or “can’t do at all” for any domain were likely to report the same status one year later, whereas there was considerable movement between people describing “some difficulty” and “a lot of difficulty”. Conclusions: Disability prevalence is high and likely to increase over time. Further research into the situation of this population is crucial to ensure inclusive policies are created and sustainable development goals are met.

Download Full-text

Self-reported disability in rural Malawi: prevalence, incidence, and relationship to chronic disease

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15196.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 90 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Josephine E. Prynn ◽

Albert Dube ◽

Elenaus Mwaiyeghele ◽

Oddie Mwiba ◽

Steffen Geis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Complex Concept ◽

Annual Survey ◽

Obesity And Diabetes ◽

Current Prevalence ◽

Disability Prevalence ◽

Using Data ◽

One Year ◽

Over Time

Background: Disability is a complex concept involving physical impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction. The Washington Group developed a set of questions on six functional domains (seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, self-care, and communicating) to allow collection of comparable data on disability. We aimed to improve understanding of prevalence and correlates of disability in the low-income setting of Malawi. Methods: This study is nested in the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Malawi; the Washington Group questions were added to the annual survey in 2014. We used cross-sectional data from the 2014 survey to estimate the current prevalence of disability, simulate disability prevalence over the previous 12 years, and examine associations of disability with certain chronic diseases. We then reviewed the consistency of responses to the questions over time using data from the 2015 survey. Results: Of 10,863 participants, 9.6% (95% CI 9.0-10.1%) reported disability in at least one domain. Prevalence was higher among women and increased with age. Since 2004, we estimate the number of people experiencing disability has increased 1.5 times. Obesity and diabetes were associated with disability, but hypertension and HIV were not. Participants reporting “no difficulty” or “can’t do at all” for any domain were likely to report the same status one year later, whereas there was considerable movement between people describing “some difficulty” and “a lot of difficulty”. Conclusions: Disability prevalence is high and likely to increase over time. Further research into the needs of this population is crucial to ensure inclusive policies are created and sustainable development goals are met.

Download Full-text

Is the lack of smartphone data skewing wealth indices in low-income settings?

Population Health Metrics ◽

10.1186/s12963-021-00246-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mathieu J. P. Poirier ◽

Till Bärnighausen ◽

Guy Harling ◽

Ali Sié ◽

Karen A. Grépin

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Wealth Index ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Household Surveys ◽

Full Model ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Wald Tests ◽

Using Data

Abstract Background Smartphones have rapidly become an important marker of wealth in low- and middle-income countries, but international household surveys do not regularly gather data on smartphone ownership and these data are rarely used to calculate wealth indices. Methods We developed a cross-sectional survey module delivered to 3028 households in rural northwest Burkina Faso to measure the effects of this absence. Wealth indices were calculated using both principal components analysis (PCA) and polychoric PCA for a base model using only ownership of any cell phone, and a full model using data on smartphone ownership, the number of cell phones, and the purchase of mobile data. Four outcomes (household expenditure, education level, and prevalence of frailty and diabetes) were used to evaluate changes in the composition of wealth index quintiles using ordinary least squares and logistic regressions and Wald tests. Results Households that own smartphones have higher monthly expenditures and own a greater quantity and quality of household assets. Expenditure and education levels are significantly higher at the fifth (richest) socioeconomic status (SES) quintile of full model wealth indices as compared to base models. Similarly, diabetes prevalence is significantly higher at the fifth SES quintile using PCA wealth index full models, but this is not observed for frailty prevalence, which is more prevalent among lower SES households. These effects are not present when using polychoric PCA, suggesting that this method provides additional robustness to missing asset data to measure underlying latent SES by proxy. Conclusions The lack of smartphone data can skew PCA-based wealth index performance in a low-income context for the top of the socioeconomic spectrum. While some PCA variants may be robust to the omission of smartphone ownership, eliciting smartphone ownership data in household surveys is likely to substantially improve the validity and utility of wealth estimates.

Download Full-text

Sex Differences in the Association between Household Income and Children’s Executive Function

Sexes ◽

10.3390/sexes1010002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 19-31

Author(s):

Shervin Assari ◽

Shanika Boyce ◽

Mohsen Bazargan ◽

Cleopatra Howard Caldwell

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Executive Function ◽

Low Income ◽

Household Income ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Stop Signal Task ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

American Children ◽

Using Data ◽

High Household Income

The study aimed to investigate sex differences in the boosting effects of household income on children’s executive function in the US. This is a cross-sectional study using data from Wave 1 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Wave 1 ABCD included 8608 American children between ages 9 and 10 years old. The independent variable was household income. The primary outcome was executive function measured by the stop-signal task. Overall, high household income was associated with higher levels of executive function in the children. Sex showed a statistically significant interaction with household income on children’s executive function, indicating a stronger effect of high household income for female compared to male children. Household income is a more salient determinant of executive function for female compared to male American children. Low-income female children remain at the highest risk regarding poor executive function.

Download Full-text

A hidden burden of neonatal illness? A cross-sectional study of all admissions aged less than one month across twelve Kenyan County hospitals

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13312.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 119

Author(s):

Georgina A.V. Murphy ◽

Vivian N. Nyakangi ◽

David Gathara ◽

Morris Ogero ◽

Mike English ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neonatal Mortality ◽

Low Income ◽

Medical Records ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Appropriate Care ◽

District Hospitals ◽

Admission Policies ◽

Using Data

Background: Small and sick newborns need high quality specialised care within health facilities to address persistently high neonatal mortality in low-income settings, including Kenya. Methods: We examined neonatal admissions in 12 public-sector County (formerly District) hospitals in Kenya between November 2014 and November 2016. Using data abstracted from newborn unit (NBU) admission registers and paediatric ward (PW) medical records, we explore the magnitude and distribution of admissions. In addition, interviews with senior staff were conducted to understand admission policies for newborns in these facilities. Results: Of the total 80,666 paediatric admissions, 28,884 (35.8%) were aged ≤28 days old. 24,212 (83.8%) of newborns were admitted to organisationally distinct NBU and 4,672 (16.2%) to general PW, though the proportion admitted to NBUs varied substantially (range 59.9-99.0%) across hospitals, reflecting widely varying infrastructure and policies. Neonatal mortality was high in NBU (12%) and PW (11%), though varied widely across facilities, with documentation of outcomes poor for the NBU. Conclusion: Improving quality of care on NBUs would affect almost a third of paediatric admissions in Kenya. However, comprehensive policies and strategies are needed to ensure sick newborns on general PWs also receive appropriate care.

Download Full-text

Clinical and Socio-demographic Determinants of Self-care Maintenance, Monitoring and Management in US Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Clinical Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/1054773820916987 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105477382091698

Author(s):

Michela Luciani ◽

Emanuela Rossi ◽

Paola Rebora ◽

Michael Stawnychy ◽

Davide Ausili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Care Management ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Self Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sociodemographic Determinants ◽

English Speaking ◽

Using Data

The aims of this study were to describe self-care in US T2DM patients and to identify clinical and sociodemographic determinants of self-care maintenance, monitoring, and management in US T2DM patients. A secondary analysis was performed using data from a cross-sectional study done to test the psychometric performance of the Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory in US English speaking adults with diabetes. In our sample ( n = 207), self-care maintenance was adequately performed (median = 75), self-care monitoring was borderline (median = 67.6) and self-care management was poor (median = 55.6). Low income ( p = .0019) and low self-care confidence ( p < .0001) were associated with relatively lower self-care maintenance. Not taking insulin ( p = .0153) and low self-care confidence ( p < .0001) were associated with relatively low self-care monitoring. Low self-care confidence ( p < .0001) was associated with low self-care management. Self-care confidence is a strong determinant of self-care. Interventions designed to improve self-care confidence are urgently needed.

Download Full-text

A hidden burden of neonatal illness? A cross-sectional study of all admissions aged less than one month across twelve Kenyan County hospitals

Wellcome Open Research ◽

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13312.2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 119

Author(s):

Georgina A.V. Murphy ◽

Vivian N. Nyakangi ◽

David Gathara ◽

Morris Ogero ◽

Mike English ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neonatal Mortality ◽

Low Income ◽

Medical Records ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Appropriate Care ◽

District Hospitals ◽

Admission Policies ◽

Using Data

Background: Small and sick newborns need high quality specialised care within health facilities to address persistently high neonatal mortality in low-income settings, including Kenya. Methods: We examined neonatal admissions in 12 public-sector County (formerly District) hospitals in Kenya between November 2014 and November 2016. Using data abstracted from newborn unit (NBU) admission registers and paediatric ward (PW) medical records, we explore the magnitude and distribution of admissions. In addition, interviews with senior staff were conducted to understand admission policies for neonates in these facilities. Results: Of the total 80,666 paediatric admissions, 28,884 (35.8%) were aged ≤28 days old. 24,212 (83.8%) of neonates were admitted to organisationally distinct NBUs and 4,672 (16.2%) to general PWs, though the proportion admitted to NBUs varied substantially (range 59.9-99.0%) across hospitals, reflecting widely varying infrastructure and policies. Neonatal mortality was high in NBUs (12%) and PWs (11%), though varied widely across facilities, with documentation of outcomes poor for the NBUs. Conclusion: Improving quality of care on NBUs would affect almost a third of paediatric admissions in Kenya. However, comprehensive policies and strategies are needed to ensure sick neonates on general PWs also receive appropriate care.

Download Full-text