Latino communities in the U.S. faced disproportionate health and economic consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the relationship between pandemic-related financial hardship and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among 1,015 Latino adults surveyed in fall 2020. Mental health symptoms were measured with the DASS-21, and multivariate linear regression models were stratified by gender. Among Latinas, greater financial hardship was significantly associated with higher anxiety and stress but not depression. No significant associations were observed among Latino men. Findings demonstrate the need for culturally responsive, gender-sensitive mental health supports and inclusive economic relief policies for immigrant and mixed-status families.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are intricately associated with poverty in general. This study examined the association between ACEs and economic hardship among U.S. children (N = 54,103) using data derived from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health. Data analysis was conducted using logistic regression models. Based on parental reports, 11.5% of children experienced economic hardship at some point in their lives. Children exposed to 1, 2, or 3 or more ACEs had progressively higher odds of experiencing economic hardship in their households. Several individual ACEs, including violence exposure, household mental illness, substance use, and discrimination were significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing economic hardship. Findings highlight the need for trauma-informed, economic, and policy interventions to support vulnerable children and their families with limited resources in U.S households.
This study (n = 6,595) investigates the relationship between incarceration experience and debt collection, and whether the relationship varies based on heterogeneity in financial product ownership (e.g. bank account). Latent Class Analysis (LCA) is used to create four classes of ownership (Comprehensive Financial Products, Core Financial Products, Basic Financial Products, and Limited Financial Products). Results suggest that the relationship between incarceration experience and debt collection varies depending on financial product ownership for those with ownership of more financial products. No incarceration experience does not significantly reduce the risk of debt collection for those with few financial products.
This article examines how innovation dynamics interact with income inequality and poverty-related vulnerability across European countries, with attention to the persistent North - South divide. Using harmonized data from Eurostat and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, income inequality is measured through the S80/S20 income quintile share ratio, an indicator sensitive to disparities affecting lower-income groups. The analysis combines descriptive evidence with fixed-effects panel models and Bayesian hierarchical estimation to assess within-country dynamics over time. Results show that innovation-driven growth does not automatically lead to inclusive outcomes, and that its distributive effects depend on labor market structures, skill composition, and social protection systems.
This study investigates patterns in services use among employed homeless people. It draws on administrative data for the St. Vincent de Paul Society Queensland, for the years 2013 to 2023, and utilizes the Journeys Home survey, an approximately six-month, Australia-wide panel survey, of people in receipt of income support and vulnerable to, at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. Being employed and a service recipient, while observed, is not commonplace; where it does occur, it tends to be part-time rather than full-time employment. The characteristics of the employed and homeless, gleaned from the Journeys Home survey, paint a complex picture.
This study examines how low-income households perceive financial institutions' role in household financial access and wealth-building. We conducted 18 in-depth interviews (until saturation) in a large Midwestern city and used hybrid thematic analysis (deductive and inductive) to code narratives and develop themes. Participants described three themes: 1) finan-cial products and services are necessary for survival and finan-cial management, yet sometimes predatory by design; 2) an employment-based benefit divide systematically limits house-hold access to wealth-building mechanisms; and 3) identity- based discrimination shapes service quality and outcomes. Implications include product and fee-structure reforms, porta-ble benefits decoupled from employment status, and stronger anti-discrimination enforcement.
This research employs a big data methodology to develop a Physical Infrastructure Index (PII) utilizing Points of Interest (POI) and create an urban sprawl index. The study investigates the correlation between physical infrastructure, urban sprawl, and poverty, providing policy recommendations for urban development. The model explains 46.7% of the variation and demonstrates a robust correlation, characterized by low error rates (RMSE of 0.13, MAE of 0.08, and MAPE of 4.48%). The findings validate that enhancing infrastructure and regulating urban growth are efficacious ways for alleviating urban poverty, consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This qualitative research project examines the financial struggles of Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) recipients using 20 in-depth interviews and five focus groups, guided by womanist and intersectional theoretical frameworks to center lived experience, racialized gendered labor, and structural inequality. Findings reveal a consistent theme of insufficient cash assistance to sustain daily living. Participants described diverse income-supplementing strategies, including small-scale entrepreneurship such as selling food, providing hairstyling services, informal cannabis sales, and sex work. These strategies reflect both resourcefulness and structural constraint. Participants also situated these practices within longer histories of survival economies in Black communities. The study recommends policy reforms including microloans, guaranteed income supports, and expanded childcare vouchers that allow recipients to increase income without punitive benefit loss, aligning policy with lived realities.
Relative deprivation hypothesis suggests that inequalities are associated with poor health. Health research also established a relationship between health and financial inclusion. However, the moderating effect of financial inclusion on the deprivation-health nexus has not been given the expected attention in literature. This study therefore investigates the moderating effect of financial inclusion on the deprivation-health nexus in rural Nigeria. Regression analysis reveals that deprivations were associated with health and that formal financial services impact positively on health and deprivation. Thus policies that increase access to formal financial services are likely to deliver significant returns on investment with regards to public health.
This article examines disparities affecting racialized women within a sample of women experiencing homelessness in Buenos Aires, Argentina (n = 72). Compared to non-racialized peers, racialized women show higher rates of mental health issues, excessive psychoactive substance use, and greater separation from their children despite higher motherhood rates. They also experienced more episodes of homelessness but maintained stronger ties with their families of origin and used shelters more frequently. Lastly, a pronounced digital divide was observed, with racialized women reporting limited access to and use of information and communication technologies
This study assesses a partnership model between a health system and faith-based organizations to address mental health needs in underserved New York communities. Guided by the EPIS framework, we documented training of Lay Counselors (n = 15), Stress First Aid (n = 219), and Mental Health First Aid (n = 137); delivery of clinical services at three congregations (n = 55); and outreach events that touched more than 1100 community members. Integrating evidence-based care into trusted faith settings reduced stigma and access barriers, strengthened referral pathways, and offers a scalable, culturally responsive approach for health systems seeking to embed mental-health services in community venues.
The goal of this study was to measure the geographical covariation of persistent poverty with natural hazard indicators compared to traditional demographic and public health variables. We examined 944 counties in ten states, as well as 150 census tracts in west-central South Carolina identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as having high levels of persistent poverty. Results show that social vulnerability, resilience, and economic losses from natural hazards are more strongly associated with persistent poverty than health outcomes, behaviors, and other demographic measures. Our findings suggest that pursuing infrastructure investment programs should remain a high priority to reduce persistent poverty.
