Decision Risks and Individual Development Accounts: An Alternative View

2009 ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Edmund Khashadourian

This article analyzes the impact of risk on decisions made by the poor within the context of the Individual Development Account (IDA) program. IDA is a matched savings program designed to help low-income households invest in appreciating assets. For these households, the risk involved with participation in IDA relates to the sacrifice they make by reducing current consumption - sometimes in a significant way - in order to be able to save. The program does not offer a match on savings per se; rather, it offers the match only when savings are invested in certain assets. Since there is no guarantee that IDA savings will be converted into assets qualified for the IDA match at the time of enrollment, participation in the program is characterized as an inherently risky decision, which is governed by different sets of behavioral factors, including the risk-taking preferences of low-income households. Consideration of risk provides an alternative explanation for issues related to program take-up, inactivity, and attrition rates. It also offers new and simple ideas on how to improve results. In addressing these problems, the article recommends using an IDA model that includes a flexible match component, to insure against the risk of unmatched savings and complement the existing IDA match structure. Simple modifications to current policy will maintain the total cost of IDA match at the existing levels. Introduction of a flexible match may mitigate the risk of decision to participate in IDA for the most vulnerable group of participants. It can also potentially reduce the percentage of inactive accounts while improving the overall retention rates in the program. Moreover, the recommended changes would not alter the nature of the IDA program, as the flexible match would only amount to a fraction of the total asset investment match.

10.1596/35260 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoonyoung Cho ◽  
Jorge Avalos ◽  
Yasuhiro Kawasoe ◽  
Douglas Johnson ◽  
Ruth Rodriguez

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-157
Author(s):  
Liani Surya Rakasiwi

This study analyzed the impact of demography and socioeconomic status on individual health status in Indonesia. The data used Indonesia Family Life Survey 5 (IFLS 5). The study use logit regression model for analysis with health status variable as dependent variable. The other variable such as demography and socioeconomic status as independent variables. Socioeconomic status seen from two measures, namely education and income. The result of this study concludes the demography influence significantly on individual health status in Indonesia. Individual who lives in urban area has higher probability of being health by 1,02 percent compared to individual who lives in rural area. The other variable like socioeconomic status also influences significantly on the individual health status in Indonesia. Individual with longer years of education has higher probability of being health by 3,07 percent compared to individual with less years of education. Individual with high income has higher probability of being health compared to individual with low income.


Author(s):  
Abdelmajid Nayif Alawneh

    The research aims to study the impact of unemployment on the social conditions in the Palestinian society from the point of view of the unemployed youth, especially in the current time period (2019), the researcher used the descriptive analytical method, and the research community consists of young people in the governorate of Ramallah. The researcher used the questionnaire tool, and the data were analyzed by the analysis program (SPSS). It was found that the majority of youth are unemployed, they are middle age, single and large families, urban residents, people with specialties and low income. As for the results of the research, there was an increase in the impact of the forms of unemployment on the social conditions of the individual, family and society and their outlook towards the future, came the highest degree on the social conditions of the individual (6. 90%) and then the social conditions of the family (3. 83%), Followed by the societal conditions to reach the value (78%), came the lowest values ​​for the outlook for the future, which amounted to (67%). Some of the features of the impact of unemployment, including the tension, anxiety and frustration of the young group. As for the nature of the relationship between the variables of the study, there was a statistically significant relationship between the combined unemployment and the low income, between the apparent, persuasive and compulsory unemployment, and the individual, family and societal situations and the outlook for them. At the end of the research a number of recommendations were made, most notably the need to balance the types of education and activate the social and cultural role of the family.  


Author(s):  
Pourya Valizadeh ◽  
Barry M Popkin ◽  
Shu Wen Ng

Abstract Background US individuals, particularly from low-income subpopulations, have very poor diet quality. Policies encouraging shifts from consuming unhealthy food towards healthy food consumption are needed. Objectives We simulate the differential impacts of a national sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and its combination with fruit and vegetable (FV) subsidies targeted to low-income households, on SSB and FV purchases of lower and higher SSB purchasers. Design We considered a one-cent-per-ounce SSB tax and two FV subsidy rates of 30% and 50% and used longitudinal grocery purchase data for 79,044 urban/semiurban US households from 2010-2014 Nielsen Homescan. We used demand elasticities for lower and higher SSB purchasers, estimated via longitudinal quantile regression, to simulate policies’ differential effects. Results Higher-SSB purchasing households made larger reductions (per adult equivalent) in SSB purchases than lower SSB purchasers due to the tax (e.g., 4.4 oz/day at SSB purchase percentile 90 vs. 0.5 oz/day at percentile 25; p < 0.05). Our analyses by household income indicated low-income households would make larger reductions than higher-income households at all SSB purchase levels. Targeted FV subsidies induced similar, but nutritionally insignificant, increases in FV purchases of low-income households regardless of their SSB purchase levels. Subsidies, however, were effective in mitigating the tax burdens. All low-income households experienced a net financial gain when the tax was combined with a 50% FV subsidy, but net gains were smaller among higher SSB purchasers. Further, low-income households with children gained smaller net financial benefits than households without children and incurred net financial losses under a 30% subsidy rate. Conclusions SSB taxes can effectively reduce SSB consumption. FV subsidies would increase FV purchases, but nutritionally meaningful increases are limited due to low purchase levels pre-policy. Expanding taxes beyond SSBs, larger FV subsidies, or subsidies beyond FVs, particularly for low-income households with children, may be more effective.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2079-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P Miller

AbstractObjectiveAlmost no previous research has examined the impact of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program and related Seamless Summer Option, which provide meals and snacks to low-income children over the summer. The present study investigated whether geographic accessibility of summer meals programme sites (a proxy for programme participation) was associated with food insecurity for low-income households.DesignThe study used data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and administrative data on summer meals sites in California. Geocoding was used to calculate driving time between CHIS households and nearby summer meals sites. Geographic accessibility was measured using a gravity model, which accounted for the spatially distributed supply of and demand for summer meals. Food insecurity and very low food security were measured using a standard six-item measure from the USDA.SubjectsLow-income families with children (n5394).SettingA representative surveillance study of non-institutionalized households in California.ResultsGeographic accessibility was not associated with food insecurity. However, geographic accessibility was associated with a significantly lower probability of very low food security in the full sample and among households with younger children and those living in less urban areas.ConclusionsThe USDA’s summer meals programme may be effective at reducing the most severe form of food insecurity for low-income households with children. Expanding the number of summer meals sites, the number of meals served at sites and sites’ hours of operation may be effective strategies to promote nutritional health over the summer months.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grahame Whitfield ◽  
Chris Dearden

This article reflects on research undertaken with low income households over a 12 month period following the ‘credit crunch’, a period characterised by rapid change to the financial landscape in the UK. It argues that people living on persistent low incomes were casualties of the economic ‘boom’ as they did not benefit from economic growth and of the ‘bust’ in that they most keenly felt the impact of the recession and the reaction of financial institutions to the new financial landscape. It concludes by arguing that, reflecting on the complexity of people's lives, addressing indebtedness requires a multi-faceted approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Jun Kim ◽  
Ji Won Yoo ◽  
Jong Wha Chang ◽  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Korea, the universal health system offers coverage to all members of society. Despite this, it is unclear whether risk of death from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies depending on income. We evaluated the impact of low income on HCC mortality. Methods The Korean National Health Insurance sampling cohort was used to identify new HCC cases (n = 7325) diagnosed between 2004 and 2008, and the Korean Community Health Survey data were used to investigate community-level effects. The main outcome was 5-year all-cause mortality risk, and Cox proportional hazard models were applied to investigate the individual- and community-level factors associated with the survival probability of HCC patients. Results From 2004 to 2008, there were 4658 new HCC cases among males and 2667 new cases among females. The 5-year survival proportion of males was 68%, and the incidence per person-year was 0.768; the female survival proportion was 78%, and the incidence per person-year was 0.819. Lower income was associated with higher hazard ratio (HR), and HCC patients with hepatitis B (HBV), alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and other types of liver cirrhosis had higher HRs than those without these conditions. Subgroup analyses showed that middle-aged men were most vulnerable to the effects of low income on 5-year mortality, and community-level characteristics were associated with survival of HCC patients. Conclusion Having a low income significantly affected the overall 5-year mortality of Korean adults who were newly diagnosed with HCC from 2004 to 2008. Middle-aged men were the most vulnerable. We believe our findings will be useful to healthcare policymakers in Korea as well as to healthcare leaders in countries with NHI programs who need to make important decisions about allocation of limited healthcare resources according to a consensually accepted and rational framework.


Author(s):  
Yiming Xiao ◽  
Han Wu ◽  
Guohua Wang ◽  
Shangrui Wang

Energy poverty has negative impacts on the residents' life from various aspects. A comprehensive understanding of these impacts is the top priority in energy poverty governance. Previous qualitative studies have shown that energy poverty has the potential to negatively impact the individual development of residents through multiple pathways. However, few scholars have explored this issue from a quantitative perspective. To fill the gaps in existing research, this study aims to examine the impact of energy poverty on individual development and explore the serial mediating effects of learning behavior and health condition in the relationship. A total of 2289 valid samples are obtained from the dataset of Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS 3.5 are used to conduct serial mediating effects analysis. The results show that energy poverty can significantly negatively impact the individual development of residents. Learning behavior and health condition are found to independently or serially mediate the relationship between energy poverty and individual development. Health condition has the stronger mediating effect, whereas the mediating effect of learning behavior is weaker. This study may contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of energy poverty in government and academia.


Author(s):  
Sruthi Valluri ◽  
Susan M. Mason ◽  
Hikaru Hanawa Peterson ◽  
Simone A. French ◽  
Lisa J. Harnack

Abstract Background The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States. Two proposed interventions to encourage healthier food expenditures among SNAP participants have generated significant debate: financial incentives for fruits and vegetables, and restrictions on foods high in added sugar. To date, however, no study has assessed the impact of these interventions on the benefit cycle, a pattern of rapid depletion of SNAP benefits that has been linked to worsening nutrition and health outcomes over the benefit month. Methods Low-income households not currently enrolled in SNAP (n = 249) received benefits every 4 weeks for 12 weeks on a study-specific benefit card. Households were randomized to one of four study arms: 1) incentive (30% incentive for fruits and vegetables purchased with study benefits), 2) restriction (not allowed to buy sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candy using study benefits), 3) incentive plus restriction, or 4) control (no incentive or restriction). Weekly household food expenditures were evaluated using generalized estimating equations. Results Compared to the control group, financial incentives increased fruit and vegetable purchases, but only in the first 2 weeks after benefit disbursement. Restrictions decreased expenditures on foods high in added sugar throughout the benefit month, but the magnitude of the impact decreased as the month progressed. Notably, restrictions mitigated cyclical expenditures. Conclusions Policies to improve nutrition outcomes among SNAP participants should consider including targeted interventions in the second half of the month to address the benefit cycle and attendant nutrition outcomes. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02643576. Retrospectively registered December 22, 2014.


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