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Background Having access to convenient and quality healthcare at all times is not only a human right but also a goal that many countries strive to achieve for their population. However, access to healthcare might face blocks in the presence of financial exclusions. Saudi Arabia has, over the years, continued to pursue policy and system reforms to enhance its population’s access to financial inclusion, as well as proper health coverage to improve health outcomes. This study seeks to estimate the effects of financial inclusion on the financial hardships in accessing healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study uses a nationally representative survey conducted with 1009 adults, using the 2017 World Bank Global Findex Study data. The study estimates the conditional probability of coming up with emergency funds and the conditional probability of borrowing for medical purposes to understand access to healthcare. A composite value is created for financial inclusion using several variables for individuals’ interactions with financial institutions, such as access to financial services and loans. Results The results revealed that financially included individuals have a higher conditional probability of both borrowing for medical purposes and coming up with emergency funds, compared to those who are financially excluded. Additionally, the study showed that individuals in low-income brackets are more likely to be financially excluded and have a reduced chance of coming up with emergency funds and borrowing for medical purposes. Conclusion These findings indicate that there is need for authorities to roll out a financial inclusion drive that will not only incentivise the financially excluded population to become included but that will also aim at promoting various financial products so that those who are already financially included have a wide range from which they can choose.

This report points out findings from the gradSERU COVID-19 Survey regarding graduate and professional students’ financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the survey suggest that first-generation graduate and professional students—those whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree or higher—were significantly (p < .05) more likely than their continuing generation peers to experience unexpected increases in spending for technology, loss or reduction in a scholarship, loss of reduction of insurance coverage, and loss or reduction of income from other family members. New America

BACKGROUND: Mental health is one of the most demanding public health challenges in the European Region, as it is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of overall disease burden. Since it is considered a multidimensional concept, a connection can be established between these disorders and diverse socioeconomic aspects, such as financial hardships or social exclusion. These relationships have also led to disparities among individuals, shaping the socioeconomic inequality regarding mental health over the years. The urge to broaden our knowledge on these concerns and the lack of empirical studies for Europe on this subject have drawn our attention. OBJECTIVE: To examine the link between mental health status and negative life impacts on individuals, across different socioeconomic groups in an empirical analysis for 30 European countries throughout 3 different waves. METHODS: This study analyses data for 30 European countries from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), waves 2007, 2012 and 2016. We first analyse the relationship between mental health and negative life events with an Ordered Probit regression and a Probit regression with its corresponding average and marginal effects; the negative life events are divided into financial hardships and social exclusion. Next, in order to analyse the level of socioeconomic inequality regarding mental health, we estimate different Concentration Indices: Standard, Generalised, Erreygers and Wagstaff. We also establish different country groups to study these disparities: Southern, Northern, Western, Eastern. RESULTS: We have demonstrated that the impact of financial hardships and social exclusion on mental health status is significant, having this last one a stronger effect; respondents with higher deprivation scores are 4.37% less likely to have good or very good mental health, while those who are more socially excluded are 11.18% less likely to report that. The repercussion of these negative life events on lower socioeconomic groups creates disadvantageous mental health outcomes when compared to higher ones, generating significant mental health disparities at a population level. These inequalities have decreased over the last years but they still remain, being the Concentration Index in 2016 for Eastern countries 0.0376, for Northern Europe 0.0345, for the Southern 0.0328 and for Western ones 0.0300. CONCLUSIONS: The present study adds negative life events into the analysis of the socioeconomic inequality of mental health for a decade across Europe. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing a world pandemic due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus which will disrupt all the future projects that were being designed and arranged. This disease is having a profound effect on all aspects of society, especially mental health. The need for strong social protection policies is currently a demanding reality for European societies, and the scope of collaboration and partnership between countries and within government levels will be fundamental for the optimal development of the strategies. RESUMEN: ANTECEDENTES: La salud mental es uno de los desafíos de salud pública más exigentes en la Región de Europa, ya que es la principal causa de discapacidad y la tercera causa principal de carga general de morbilidad. Dado que se considera un concepto multidimensional, se puede establecer una conexión entre estos trastornos y diversos aspectos socioeconómicos, como las dificultades económicas o la exclusión social. Estas relaciones también han dado lugar a disparidades entre las personas, lo que ha dado forma a la desigualdad socioeconómica en materia de salud mental a lo largo de los años. Nos ha llamado la atención la necesidad de ampliar nuestros conocimientos sobre estas preocupaciones y la falta de estudios empíricos para Europa sobre este tema. OBJETIVO: Examinar el vínculo entre el estado de salud mental y los acontecimientos vitales negativos para los individuos, en diferentes grupos socioeconómicos en un entorno transversal para 30 países europeos en 3 oleadas diferentes. MÉTODOS: Este estudio analiza datos para 30 países europeos de la Encuesta Europea de Calidad de Vida (EQLS), olas 2007, 2012 y 2016. Primero analizamos la relación entre la salud mental y los eventos negativos de la vida con una regresión Probit ordenada y una regresión Probit con sus correspondientes efectos medios y marginales; dichos eventos vitales negativos los dividimos en dificultades económicas y exclusión social. A continuación, para analizar el nivel de desigualdad socioeconómica en salud mental, estimamos diferentes Índices de Concentración: Estándar, Generalizado, Erreygers y Wagstaff. También establecemos diferentes grupos de países para estudiar estas disparidades: Sur, Norte, Oeste, Este. RESULTADOS: Hemos demostrado que el impacto de las dificultades económicas y la exclusión social en el estado de salud mental es significativo, teniendo este último un efecto más fuerte; los encuestados con puntuaciones de privación más altas tienen un 4,37% menos de probabilidades de tener una buena o muy buena salud mental, mientras que los que están más excluidos socialmente tienen un 11,18% menos de probabilidades de ello. La repercusión de estos eventos vitales negativos en los grupos socioeconómicos más bajos crea resultados de salud mental desventajosos en comparación con los más altos, lo que genera importantes disparidades de salud mental a nivel de la población. Estas desigualdades han disminuido en los últimos años pero aún se mantienen, siendo el Índice de Concentración en 2016 para los países del Este 0,0376, para el Norte de Europa 0,0345, para el Sur 0,0328 y para los Occidentales 0,0300. CONCLUSIONES: El presente estudio añade acontecimientos vitales negativos al análisis de la desigualdad socioeconómica de la salud mental durante una década en Europa. Desafortunadamente, actualmente estamos experimentando una pandemia mundial debido al virus SARS-CoV-2 que interrumpirá todos los proyectos futuros que se estaban diseñando y organizando. Esta enfermedad está teniendo un efecto profundo en todos los aspectos de la sociedad, especialmente la salud mental. La necesidad de políticas sólidas de protección social es actualmente una realidad exigente para las sociedades europeas, y el alcance de la colaboración y asociación entre países y dentro de los niveles de gobierno será fundamental para el desarrollo óptimo de las estrategias. Máster en Economía: Instrumentos del Análisis Económico

Article, 信州医学雑誌 54(1): 11-20(2006)

Background Multiple economic factors and social relationships determine dietary behaviours, but the inter-relations between determinants is unknown. Whether women and men differ in the vulnerability to, and impact of, combined disadvantages is also unclear. We examined associations between diverse combinations of economic resources and social relationships, and healthy eating in British older women and men. Methods Our sample comprised 9,580 over-50s (47 % of over-50 respondents) in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort study. We examined six economic factors (education, social class, home-ownership, money for needs, frequency of insufficient money for food/clothing, paying bills) and three social relationships (marital status, living arrangement and friend contact), independently and in combination, in relation to fruit variety and vegetable variety. We analysed gender-specific associations using multivariable linear regression with interaction terms. Results Lower social class, lower education, and difficulty paying bills were associated with lower fruit and vegetable variety in both genders, independent of social relationships. All social relationships were independently associated with fruit variety in men and with vegetable variety in both genders. Substantially lower variety was found for all combinations of low economic resources and lack of social relationship than for either measure alone, with men faring worse in the majority of combined disadvantages. For example, the difference in vegetable variety for men reporting low social class and non-married was much greater (β -4.1, [-4.8, -3.4]), than the independent association of low social class (β -1.5, [-1.8,–1.2]), or non-married (β -1.8, [-2.3,–1.3]). Variety was also lower among men with high economic resources but non-married or lone-living. Conclusion A double burden of low economic resources and lack of social relationships suggested they are unique joint determinants, particularly in older men, and that public health efforts to improve healthy eating would offer most benefit to older adults with intersecting economic and social disadvantages. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1895-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nest-leaving – the transition of young adults from their parents' homes to other living arrangements – is a major life-course milestone. Although the causes of nest-leaving have been extensively researched, only a few studies have examined the changes in young adults' own assessments of their well-being that immediately precede and follow these transitions. This study uses the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to document the trajectories of financial hardships, food consumption, and other well-being outcomes among Australians who left their parents' homes between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The study estimates multivariate fixed-effects models that compare outcomes before and after nest-leaving transitions to mitigate the effects of confounding characteristics. Men and women report increased financial hardships in the years that they leave home and in the first few years that follow. In particular, men and women both report more frequently going without meals and needing to ask friends and family for financial help. Women additionally report more frequently missing utility and housing payments.

Nest-leaving - the transition of young adults from their parents' homes to other living arrangements - is a major life-course milestone. Although the causes of nest-leaving have been extensively researched, only a few studies have examined the changes in young adults' own assessments of their well-being that immediately precede and follow these transitions. This study uses the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to document the trajectories of financial hardships, food consumption, and other well-being outcomes among Australians who left their parents' homes between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The study estimates multivariate fixed-effects models that compare outcomes before and after nest-leaving transitions to mitigate the effects of confounding characteristics. Men and women report increased financial hardships in the years that they leave home and in the first few years that follow. In particular, men and women both report more frequently going without meals and needing to ask friends and family for financial help. Women additionally report more frequently missing utility and housing payments.