Effects of an Unconditional Cash Transfer on the Economic and Psychological Well-being of Low-Income Households in Compton, CA

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 situation in Thailand was controlled with various social measures. Much of the information covered in the media and in studies focused on the public health and economic aspects of the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the psychological well-being of older people, which is important especially in an ageing society categorised as low income or middle income due to the limits of economic and healthcare resources.SettingThe impact of COVID-19 on older persons in Thailand, an online survey, taken across nine provinces within the five regions of the country.ParticipantsInformation was collected from 1230 adults aged at least 60 years old.If an older person was illiterate, unable to access the internet or had a disability preventing them from responding to the survey, an intermediary residing in the community conducted the survey interview.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe analysis focused on the worries of older adults and the factors associated with psychological distress experienced during the pandemic using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe majority of people aged at least 60 years old experienced psychological distress during COVID-19. Employment loss (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.38), inadequate income (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.44) and debt incursion (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.57 to 4.80) were detrimental to psychological well-being. The negative changes in the perception of their health status (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.99) and decreased life satisfaction (OR 1.49, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.87) also weighed on older Thais. The protective factors for psychological well-being were residing in rural areas (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.61) and being married (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.01).ConclusionObserving the concerns of the older population is important for introducing policies that can alleviate their precarious financial and health statuses.

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Yoga as a Preventive Health Care Program for White and Black Elders: An Exploratory Study

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.2190/hu5c-32fh-apvu-n6fy ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 169-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

David Haber

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Low Income ◽

Blood Pressure Level ◽

Well Being ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Pressure Level ◽

Control Group ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Black Elders

A ten-week yoga program was implemented with sixty-one white and forty-five low-income black elders at two community sites, along with a pretest-posttest control group research design with random assignment at each site. White elders attended class regularly, practiced yoga on their own on a daily basis, improved psychological well-being, and lowered their systolic blood pressure level, in comparison to a control group. Black elders, on the other hand, attended the once-a-week class regularly but did not practice on their own on a daily basis. Thus, they did not improve psychological well-being nor reduce blood pressure level in comparison to a control group. Social analysts suggest that low-income minority elders need more frequent contact with structured leadership in order to adhere to a daily routine that may lead to psychological and physical change. Other directions for controlled follow-up studies are suggested.

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Childhood poverty and adult psychological well-being

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1604756114 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (52) ◽

pp. 14949-14952 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Gary W. Evans

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Allostatic Load ◽

Physiological Stress ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Childhood Poverty ◽

Childhood Disadvantage ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Childhood disadvantage has repeatedly been linked to adult physical morbidity and mortality. We show in a prospective, longitudinal design that childhood poverty predicts multimethodological indices of adult (24 y of age) psychological well-being while holding constant similar childhood outcomes assessed at age 9. Adults from low-income families manifest more allostatic load, an index of chronic physiological stress, higher levels of externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression) but not internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression), and more helplessness behaviors. In addition, childhood poverty predicts deficits in adult short-term spatial memory.

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The Impact of Emergency Cash Assistance in a Pandemic: Experimental Evidence from Colombia

Review of Economics and Statistics ◽

10.1162/rest_a_01043 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-27

Author(s):

Juliana Londoño-Vélez ◽

Pablo Querubín

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Cash Transfer ◽

Social Cooperation ◽

Financial Health ◽

Health Food ◽

Mobile Money ◽

Cash Assistance ◽

Emergency Assistance ◽

The Impact ◽

Unconditional Cash Transfer

Abstract We study the impact of money on households during theCOVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Colombia rolled out a new unconditional cash transfer (UCT) to one million households in povertyworth $19 (PPP $55.6) and paid every 5-8 weeks. Using an RCT and linked administrative and survey data, we find the UCT had positive (albeit modest) effects on measures of household well-being (e.g., financial health, food access). Moreover, the UCT boosted support for emergency assistance to households and firms during the crisis and promoted social cooperation. Finally, we explore the bottlenecks in expanding mobile money during a pandemic.

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Psychological Well-Being of Female-Headed Households Based on Age Stratification: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in South Korea

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186445 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6445

Author(s):

Min Kwon ◽

HyungSeon Kim

Keyword(s):

Musculoskeletal Pain ◽

Low Income ◽

Social Deprivation ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Alone ◽

Age Group ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Female Headed Households ◽

Age Stratification

The female-headed household is a new vulnerable group associated with health inequality. The purpose of this study was to analyze psychological well-being and related factors among Korean female-headed households based on age stratification. This was a secondary analysis of data extracted from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017), which included a total of 9084 female-headed households. Their psychological well-being was measured by the WHO-5 well-being index. A total of 39.8% of female-headed household workers were psychologically unhealthy. Among them, 2.2% of those aged 15–30 years old, 8.1% aged 30–50 years old, and 29.5% over aged 50 years old were unhealthy. In the age group of 15–30 years old, depression/anxiety was negatively associated with psychological well-being. In the age group of 30–50 years old, living alone, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and depression/anxiety were negatively associated with psychological well-being. In the age group over 50 years old, low education level, living alone, low income, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and depression/anxiety were negatively associated with psychological well-being. The psychological well-being perceived by female households is complex and goes beyond economic poverty and dependent burdens. Therefore, a multidimensional support strategy should be included in the concept of social deprivation, and a preventive approach is needed to establish a support system.

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Impulsive Consumption and Financial Well-Being: Evidence from an Increase in the Availability of Alcohol

Review of Financial Studies ◽

10.1093/rfs/hhaa094 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Itzhak Ben-David ◽

Marieke Bos

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Low Income ◽

Liquidity Constraints ◽

Well Being ◽

Young Population ◽

Higher Alcohol ◽

Liquor Stores ◽

Credit Demand ◽

Commitment Devices ◽

Low Income Households

Abstract The increased availability of alcohol may harm individuals who have present-focused preferences and consume more than initially planned. Using a nationwide experiment in Sweden, we study the credit behavior of low-income households around the expansion of liquor stores’ operating hours on Saturdays. Consistent with store closures serving as commitment devices, the policy led to higher credit demand, more default, increased dependence on welfare, and higher crime on Saturdays. The effects are concentrated on the young population due to higher alcohol consumption combined with tight liquidity constraints. The policy’s impact on indebtedness is estimated at 4.5 times the expenditure on alcohol.

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Interactions between human behaviour and the built environment in terms of facility management

Facilities ◽

10.1108/f-03-2017-0040 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (1/2) ◽

pp. 2-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Darja Kobal Grum

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Low Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Human Behaviour ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Content Type ◽

Sustainable Solutions ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Purpose In comparison with the relations between the human and natural environments that have been the central focus of environmental psychology for many years, the interactions between the psychological processes underlying human behaviour and the built environment have only recently regained the interest of researchers. In this paper, the author first discusses the reasons for the slower development of human – built environment relations. Afterwards, the author systematically examines the impact that the research of environmental stress, namely, poor housing and poor neighbourhood quality, had on the contemporary understanding of human – built environment relations. Design/methodology/approach The author focuses on social, biophilic and evidence-based design. The author proposes deeper psychological engagement in correlation with human behaviour, psychological well-being and society. The author highlights the inclusion of psychologists in interdisciplinary research teams addressing the development of sustainable solutions to the issues of residential environments. Findings It has been shown that substandard house quality, high noise, lack of natural light in houses, poorer physical quality of urban neighbourhoods, living in a low-income neighbourhood, etc. are linked to elevated physiological and psychological stress. Despite this evidence, there is still a gap between building designers and building users in modern industrialised societies, which could deepen tenants’ dissatisfaction due to specific behavioural needs and consequently lower their psychological well-being and health risk behaviour. Research limitations/implications These are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources. Originality/value The major contributions of this paper are as follows. If the environment is understood as a dynamic, constantly changing and complex system of a wide range of players, the author can discern in this environment a dynamic that is otherwise characteristic of emotional dynamics. Expressed participants’ high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.

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Sense of coherence: A distinct perspective on financial well-being

South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences ◽

10.4102/sajems.v19i4.1405 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 647-660 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Antoni Barnard

Keyword(s):

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Low Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Income Level ◽

Future Research ◽

Reference Frequency ◽

Relationship Dynamics ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Sample Distribution ◽

The Relationship

With the ongoing financial challenges being faced in the economic environment, research exploring financial and psychological well-being is of significant value because employees’ socio-economic behaviour affects productivity. Research emphasises mainly the effect of income level on psychological well-being, and its orientation to psychological well-being is narrowly derived from a focus on subjective well-being constructs. This study addresses the research gap by exploring the relationship dynamics between sense of coherence, income level and financial well-being. Secondary data were obtained from a cross-sectional online employee-wellness survey (n=7 185). The sample distribution included 66 per cent females and 34 per cent males from various age groups, with 46 per cent of the sample comprising single-household earners and 54 per cent sharing household income. Analysis of variance was conducted to examine the relationship dynamics between sense of coherence, level of income and financial well-being. Demographic variables that formed part of the survey results were included in the analysis. The relationships between sense of coherence and identified significant income level, financial well-being and demographic effects were further explored in Bonferroni multiple comparisons of means test and cross reference frequency tables that included Pearson’s chi-square and/or Cochran–Armitage trend tests. Detail results indicate that high-income employees exhibit a significantly stronger sense of coherence than low-income employees, and that, despite level of income, financial wellbeing is nevertheless positively related to sense of coherence. Results indicate important implications for managing a financially healthy workforce. Limitations are discussed and recommendations for future research are highlighted.

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