Traps, Pitfalls, and Unexpected Cliffs on the Path Out of Poverty

Prenovost, Mary A; Youngblood, Deborah C.

doi:10.2202/1944-2858.1053

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Many participants attributed low household incomes to unstable employment, low wages and the “cliff effect” (Prenovost and Youngblood, 2010; Romich et al, 2007). “Cliff effects” occur when households become ineligible for safety net benefits despite not experiencing full economic self-sufficiency through employment, a circumstance described by one participant as a “catch-22.” Further, in comparison to other household expenses such as housing and food, utilities were often considered less of a priority and were handled with more flexibility because service interruptions take time to ensue and can be avoided.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding ‘energy insecurity’ and why it matters to health

Hernández

2016

Social Science & Medicine

213

131

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Energy insecurity is a multi-dimensional construct that describes the interplay between physical conditions of housing, household energy expenditures and energy-related coping strategies. The present study uses an adapted grounded theory approach based on in-depth interviews with 72 low-income families to advance the concept of energy insecurity. Study results illustrate the layered components of energy insecurity by providing rich and nuanced narratives of the lived experiences of affected households. Defined as an inability to adequately meet basic household energy needs, this paper outlines the key dimensions of energy insecurity-economic, physical and behavioral- and related adverse environmental, health and social consequences. By thoroughly examining this understudied phenomenon, this article serves to raise awareness of an increasingly relevant issue that merits more attention in research and policy.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding ‘energy insecurity’ and why it matters to health

Hernández

2016

Social Science & Medicine

213

131

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“…People receiving SNAP report this steep drop off in benefits causes anxiety and high stress. 7 Phasing out benefits more slowly would reduce this “poverty trap” that makes it harder to escape food insecurity. A slower phase-out would also be more commensurate with the marginal federal tax rate on wage income for those with income levels typical of SNAP beneficiaries—whose highest tax bracket is typically 10% or 12%.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Federal Nutrition Programs after the Pandemic: Learning from P-EBT and SNAP to Create the Next Generation of Food Safety Net Programs

Balasuriya

Berkowitz

Seligman

2021

INQUIRY

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It is thought that childhood food insecurity rates increased to 18 million impacted children in 2020. In response, innovative policy solutions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) were swiftly implemented. These innovations must serve as catalysts to create the next generation of food safety net programs. These include the removal of administrative barriers to enrollment, the use of streamlined procedures to access food, the expansion of P-EBT to daycare and childcare centers, and the uncoupling of receipt of benefits from physical presence in schools. Critical gaps also remain. SNAP benefit amounts are often too low, leaving many families ineligible. More realistic benefit amounts are needed, such as those used in the USDA’s Moderate Cost Food Plan. Eligibility cut-offs exclude many food insecure families. Better alignment of SNAP eligibility with income levels that substantially increase food insecurity risk are critical. Lastly, creating slower phase-out periods for benefits as incomes rise is essential. Additionally, food insecurity continues to disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority populations and low-income households. These deeply rooted inequalities in access to nutrition play an important role in driving health disparities, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic comorbidities and must be further examined. Changes to SNAP and the P-EBT program illustrate how innovative, broad-scale policy solutions can expeditiously support the nutritional needs of families with children. While pandemic-inspired innovation offers critical lessons for designing the next generation of nutrition assistance, there remain gaps that can perpetuate disparities in access to food and health. As a community of medical providers, we must advocate for broader, more inclusive policies to support those facing food insecurity. The future depends on it.

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“…Rather, in the lived experience of communities interacting sets of policies from a spectrum of agencies form a "policy ecosystem". The "policy ecosystem" interacts with community realities, in the process shaping individual choices and lives, and creating barriers and exacerbating disparities [125].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Centering and collaborating with community knowledge systems: piloting a novel participatory modeling approach

Shaikh

Jeelani²,

Gibbons³

et al. 2023

Int J Equity Health

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Background Systems science approaches like simulation modeling can offer an opportunity for community voice to shape policies. In the episteme of many communities there are elders, leaders, and researchers who are seen as bearers of historic knowledge and can contextualize and interpret contemporary research using knowledge systems of the community. There is a need for a systematic methodology to collaborate with community Knowledge Bearers and Knowledge Interpreters. In this paper we report the results of piloting a systematic methodology for collaborating with a community Knowledge-Bearer and Knowledge-Interpreter to develop a conceptual model revealing the local-level influences and architecture of systems shaping community realities. The use case for this pilot is ‘persistent poverty’ in the United States, specifically within the inner-city African American community in Baltimore City. Methods This pilot of a participatory modeling approach was conducted over a span of 7 sessions and included the following steps, each with an associated script: Step 1: Knowledge-Bearer and Knowledge-Interpreter recruitment Step 2: Relationship building Step 3: Session introduction, Vignette development & enrichment Step 4: Vignette analysis & constructing architecture of systems map Step 5: Augmenting architecture of systems map Results Each step of the participatory modeling approach resulted in artifacts that were valuable for both the communities and the research effort. Vignette construction resulted in narratives representing a spectrum of lived experiences, trajectories, and outcomes within a community. The collaborative analysis of vignettes yielded the Architecture of Systemic Factors map, that revealed how factors inter-relate to form a system in which lived experience of poverty occurs. A literature search provided an opportunity for the community to contextualize existing research about them using realities of lived experience. Conclusion This methodology showed that a community Knowledge Bearer can function as communicators and interpreters of their community’s knowledge base, can develop coherent narratives of lived experiences within which research and knowledge is contextualized, and can collaboratively construct conceptual mappings necessary for simulation modeling. This participatory modeling approach showed that even if there already exists a vast body of research about a community, collaborating with community gives context to that research and brings together disparate findings within narratives of lived experience.

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Traps, Pitfalls, and Unexpected Cliffs on the Path Out of Poverty

Cited by 12 publications

References 4 publications

Understanding ‘energy insecurity’ and why it matters to health

Understanding ‘energy insecurity’ and why it matters to health

Federal Nutrition Programs after the Pandemic: Learning from P-EBT and SNAP to Create the Next Generation of Food Safety Net Programs

Centering and collaborating with community knowledge systems: piloting a novel participatory modeling approach

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