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BACKGROUND: Firearm secure storage is an important public health practice due to its potential impact on reducing the incidence of accidental injuries, suicides, and thefts. Yet, there is limited research on how economic conditions might shape firearm storage patterns. METHODS: This study explores the relationship between material hardship and firearm secure storage among firearm-owning households. Data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed, including responses from 7,197 firearm-owning adults in California, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Mexico. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between levels of material hardship and storage practices, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: Among respondents, 14.3% reported firearms were stored, loaded and unlocked. Compared to respondents experiencing no hardships, those experiencing three or more material hardships incurred a 183% higher risk of storing firearms in an unsecured manner (Relative Risk Ratio = 2.828, 95% CI = 1.286, 6.220). CONCLUSION: This study highlights an association between greater material hardship and unsecured firearm storage. These findings emphasize the need for public health interventions that address economic barriers to safe firearm storage, potentially reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths among individuals experiencing material hardship.

AbstractIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created significant health and socioeconomic challenges for households across the United States, the federal government implemented substantial cash transfer programs. These programs led to immediate reductions in material hardship and improvements in mental health among many households. However, limited research has focused specifically on essential hospital workers, a critical yet often overlooked group who, despite working full-time and making critical contributions during the pandemic, continued to face material hardship and mental health challenges. This study used survey data from hospital service, clerical, and technical workers in Western Pennsylvania (N = 246) to compare material hardship and mental health outcomes across two time periods: March–May 2021, immediately after the government’s COVID-19-era cash transfers, and February–March 2022, one year later. Bivariate linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that while cash transfers were initially associated with reduced hardship in affording medical treatment and lower stress, depression, and anxiety, these benefits were not sustained over time. The findings suggest several policy implications, including the need to raise wages to livable levels and provide sustained financial support. Future research should explore the causal impacts of COVID-19-era cash transfers and broaden its scope to include hospital workers in diverse geographic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundFamilies experience financial burden and household material hardship (HMH) after a pediatric cancer diagnosis. This study investigates types of financial assistance and other financial coping strategies (FCS) adopted by families during the first year after diagnosis.MethodsRetrospective survey of caregivers of pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer from 2015 to 2019. The survey collected data on demographics, diagnosis, income, HMH, and private, hospital, and government assistance received and other FCS adopted after diagnosis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze FCS by income. Subgroup analysis of families experiencing HMH was used to identify predictors of receiving government assistance.ResultsOf 156 respondents, 52% were low-to-middle income, 29% had public insurance, and 22% had non-English language preference. Low-to-middle-income families were more likely to incur debt (odds ratio [OR] 6.24, p

Abstract Background Firearm secure storage is an important public health practice due to its potential impact on reducing the incidence of accidental injuries, suicides, and thefts. Yet, there is limited research on how economic conditions might shape firearm storage patterns. Methods This study explores the relationship between material hardship and firearm secure storage among firearm-owning households. Data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed, including responses from 7,197 firearm-owning adults in California, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Mexico. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between levels of material hardship and storage practices, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Results Among respondents, 14.3% reported firearms were stored, loaded and unlocked. Compared to respondents experiencing no hardships, those experiencing three or more material hardships incurred a 183% higher risk of storing firearms in an unsecured manner (Relative Risk Ratio = 2.828, 95% CI = 1.286, 6.220). Conclusion This study highlights an association between greater material hardship and unsecured firearm storage. These findings emphasize the need for public health interventions that address economic barriers to safe firearm storage, potentially reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths among individuals experiencing material hardship.

Despite efforts to maintain a satisfactory quality of life, a significant proportion of American workers face substantial material hardship. However, studies of material hardship have paid scant attention to lower-wage workers; hospital service, clerical, and technical workers represent a crucial yet understudied subset of this population. Using survey data from hospital workers employed by a large hospital in Pennsylvania, this research identified prevailing patterns of material hardship among these workers and investigated contributing factors, including hourly wages, utilization of public benefits, and demographics. The findings revealed the presence of two distinct material hardship groups: the high-hardship group (those with a high risk of experiencing multiple hardships concurrently) and the low-hardship group (those with a low risk). Notably, higher wages, better health, and being White were associated with a reduced likelihood of belonging to the high-hardship group. Conversely, an increased number of children in a household and utilization of a utility bill assistance program were associated with an elevated risk of belonging to the high-hardship group. The results hold several policy implications, including the need to increase hourly wages, enlarge antipoverty policy initiatives, enhance access to preventive health services, and offer more comprehensive childcare support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a parameterized difference-in-differences approach, we study the impact of the 2021 expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the USA, which provided monthly cash payments to families with children for 6 months. We examine the effects of the CTC on the economic wellbeing (material hardship, ability to meet needs/money on hand, hardship avoidance techniques, and employment) of families with very low incomes. This population is especially important to study as these families disproportionately benefited from the 2021 CTC expansion. We find that the 2021 monthly CTC reduced the number of hardships families experienced, especially food insecurity. We find weak evidence that the credit reduced medical hardships and reliance on friends and family for food and that it had no impact on labor supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Black/Latino(a) & White Racial/Ethnic wealth gaps persist in the COVID-19 pandemic. • Substantial racial/ethnic disparities exist in family material hardship experiences. • Higher income did not equitably protect Black & Latino(a) families from hardship. • Addressing racial/ethnic wealth gaps is key to equitable early childhood development. The long-existing racial/ethnic wealth gaps in the U.S. persist during the COVID-19 pandemic due to income inequalities and other structural racism experiences, which may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in material hardship experiences. This study examined material hardship disparities and factors that may contribute to racial/ethnic wealth gaps among U.S. families with young children during the pandemic. Using survey data collected from a large national study among parents of children under six years old between April 2020 and October 2022 (N = 6,903; 7.23 % Black, 12.33 % Hispanic/Latino[a]; 29.03 % below 200 % FPL), this study revealed factors that substantially contributed to racial/ethnic wealth gaps, including debt, home ownership, income changes, and discrimination experiences. Moreover, Black and Hispanic/Latino(a) households of middle-to-higher-income levels reported more material hardships than White households with similar income, suggesting that higher income levels could not fully compensate for the systemic, generationally accumulated wealth gaps or equitably protect families of color from hardships in the pandemic. Although not directly studying the total wealth amount, this study provided compelling evidence for racial/ethnic structural inequalities in the wealth accumulation processes and hardship experiences, highlighting the pervasive economic vulnerability among not only lower-income households, but also middle-to-higher-income Black and Hispanic/Latino(a) families with young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored specificity in the associations between early poverty and preschoolers' behavioral and attentional regulation. In particular, there was an emphasis on delineating contextual factors (i.e., material hardship and household chaos) and parenting processes (i.e., maternal aggravation and maternal acceptance) as sequential mechanisms. The sample included 2850 families from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results suggested that early poverty in infancy (age one) was associated with behavioral regulation and attentional regulation in preschool years (age five). Material hardship mediated the link between early poverty and behavioral regulation, while household chaos mediated the link between early poverty and attentional regulation. Additionally, maternal aggravation mediated the association between material hardship and behavioral regulation, while maternal acceptance mediated the associations between household chaos and attentional and behavioral regulation. Findings informed targeted interventions to alleviate hardship and chaos and promote positive parenting practices to bolster children's self-regulation. Highlights: Early poverty in infancy was associated with preschoolers' behavioral regulation and attentional regulation. Material hardship mediated the link between early poverty and behavioral regulation. Household chaos mediated the link between early poverty and attentional regulation. Maternal aggravation mediated the association between material hardship and behavioral regulation. Maternal acceptance mediated the associations between household chaos and attentional and behavioral regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's early experiences have potential to shape their development through early childhood, middle childhood, and into adolescence. Family structure at birth and material hardship may offer insight into how children's health and well‐being are shaped within their family of origin. The current paper examined (a) the association between family structure at birth and material hardship 1‐year post‐birth and (b) the differential impact of race on the associations between family structure and material hardship. We further explored the association between family structure and material hardship on self‐reported health in (a) middle childhood and (b) adolescence. Using the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing dataset, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions and structural equation path models (SEM) were used to examine associations between family structure, material hardship, and health outcomes (body mass index [BMI], anxiety, and suicidal ideation). Results indicated that family structure predicted material hardship at 1‐year until maternal characteristics were taken into account. Race/ethnicity did not moderate the association. Also, family structure at birth was indirectly associated with youth anxiety through material hardship but did not account for BMI or sucidical ideation. Social supports and state policies should prioritize maternal health access and ensure families are able to meet their basic needs to mitigate children's health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the financial status of Medicaid Home Care Aides (HCAs) working in Washington State (WA). This study importantly covers both economic and psychological components of financial insecurity, a comprehensive approach that may help advance policy development for HCAs' financial security. An online survey was conducted from April to May 2019 among employed WA HCAs. The descriptive analyses were conducted using Stata. About two-thirds earned less than $30,000 annually (62%) from all their jobs combined, including non-caregiving work. Over 1 in 4 reported having over $40 k in long-term debt (28%). More than 3 in 4 reported they could only cover housing and basic living expenses using savings for less than 2 months (76%), showing likely unreadiness for sudden financial shocks (financial vulnerability). Nearly 3 in 4 HCAs (73%) experienced at least one material hardship that include housing hardship, utilities hardship, medical hardship, and food insecurity. One in 4 expressed their financial stress was severe. More WA HCAs experienced material hardships (73%) than U.S. low-income families (64.2%). In 2021, the median annual wage for WA HCAs was about 20% higher than the national one; however, their wages still remain below the living wage. In conclusion, although WA HCAs' wages are comparable to national averages, they still experience financial vulnerability and material hardships. Therefore, achieving living wages is necessary for WA HCAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly a quarter of U.S. households experienced job or income losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liquid assets mitigate financial distress amidst financial shocks such as job loss, yet this relationship concerning the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. respondents (N = 4,765) who completed a survey in the early days of the pandemic, we examined pre-pandemic liquid assets as a moderator of the relationship between COVID-19-related job and income loss and financial distress such as difficulty meeting financial obligations and the use of high-cost financial resources. Estimates from propensity score-weighted linear probability models indicated that greater liquid assets lessened the probability of experiencing all eight measures of financial distress and moderated the effect of COVID-19-related job/income loss on five out of eight measures. These results hold when examining financial distress specifically attributed to COVID-19 and controlling for public program participation and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the role of subjective and objective poverty in relation to child maltreatment through parenting aggravation, the current study selected the biological mothers in wave 5 of the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study. The results showed that material hardship was consistently associated with all the child maltreatment outcomes through parenting aggravation, while only certain poverty threshold categories were related to physical abuse, neglect, and ever CPS involvement. Caregivers whose income is above 200% but experiencing more material hardship and those whose income is below 200% and experiencing more material hardship, showed a higher likelihood of child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mental health issues among older adults have been widely reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the relationship between material hardship and three mental health measures among older Americans. Method: Data are from the Health and Retirement Study collected between 2020 and 2021. Respondents ages ≥ 50 years (N = 1,504) reported whether they had experienced seven types of material hardship (e.g., missed rent or mortgage payments) and self-assessed their mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, and loneliness). We used confounder-adjusted regression models to examine the associations of the sum and each specific type of material hardship with mental health. Results: About 26% of respondents (mean age = 69.36 , 65% female, 63% non-Hispanic white) experienced at least one type of material hardship during the pandemic. The number of material hardships was associated with more depressive symptoms and higher levels of anxiety and loneliness. Among the types of difficulties, having trouble buying food was negatively associated with mental health scores. Conclusion: Material hardship during the pandemic, especially food insecurity, was a significant mental health stressor among older Americans. Targeted supportive interventions and services for disadvantaged older adults may mitigate mental health burdens during public health crises, such as pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an absolute measure of deprivation poverty fails to capture the impact pandemic-related disruptions had on households. In this study, we use data from the Ypsilanti COVID-19 Study, a cross-sectional survey of 609 residents taken during the summer of 2020, to control for pandemic-related disruptions on bill-paying and food hardship. Using logistic regression models in which specific forms of bill-paying (i.e. late paying rent, late paying utilities) and food hardships (i.e. eating less over 7 days, worried food will run out) served as dependent variables, we find that disruptions to household finances, particularly job loss, significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing bill-paying and food hardship, respectively. Our study also controls for the type of hardship experienced to see which strategies households employed during the pandemic to exit material hardship. Through logistic regression models on methods of exiting material hardship, we find the type of hardship experienced was not predictive of applying for either SNAP or UI. Moreover, we find UI was less accessible to low-income individuals experiencing hardship. The findings from our study elaborate the relationship between pandemic-related disruptions and material hardship, and indicate to policymakers that preventing hardship in the first place is much more meaningful to households than attempting to use policy to bring households out of hardship once they experience it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Income poverty is associated with an enhanced tendency to avoid losses in economic decisions, which can be driven by a response bias (risk avoidance) and a valuation bias (loss aversion). However, the impact of non-income dimensions of poverty on these biases remains unclear. The current study tested the impact of material hardship on these biases, and the mediating effects of anxiety, depression, and cognitive control in these associations. Healthy adults (N = 188) completed questionnaire and behavioral measures of the variables. Results of regression-based analyses showed that participants who reported higher material hardship exhibited greater response bias, but not valuation bias. This effect was mediated by anxiety. Although material hardship predicted lower cognitive control, cognitive control did not mediate the association between material hardship and either type of bias. These findings suggest that material hardship may lead to economic decision-making biases because it impacts emotional states rather than cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents the antipoverty effects of housing assistance programs and their relationships with other life circumstances. Using a novel sample of urban households, we examine how participation trajectories in housing programs (including Section 8/public housing and rent regulation) affect households' housing deprivation, income poverty, and other forms of material hardships. Employing a propensity score matching technique, we find evidence that individuals who remain in subsidized units are significantly less likely to experience rent burden, become homeless, or live in overcrowded environments. They also face lower odds of poverty than their eligible non-/past-assisted counterparts. However, we find that living in subsidized housing has almost no impact on material hardship. Also, we find no relationship between living in rent-stabilized housing and low-income households' material or housing hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the multifaceted challenges confronting children from vulnerable or fragile families, with a specific focus on learning disabilities, resilience (measured by grit), and material hardship--a factor intricately linked with children's disabilities. Leveraging the predictive capabilities of machine learning (ML), our research aims to discern the determinants of these outcomes, thereby facilitating evidence-based policy formulation and targeted interventions for at-risk populations. The dataset underwent meticulous preprocessing, including the elimination of records with extensive missing values, the removal of features with minimal variance, and the imputation of medians for categorical data and means for numerical data. Advanced feature selection techniques, incorporating mutual information, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and treebased methods, were employed to refine the dataset and mitigate overfitting. Additionally, we addressed the challenge of class imbalance through the implementation of the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) to enhance model generalization. Various ML models, encompassing Random Forest, Neural Networks [multilayer perceptron (MLP)], Gradient-Boosted Trees (XGBoost), and a Stacking Ensemble Model, were evaluated on the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) dataset, with fine-tuning facilitated by Bayesian optimization techniques. The experimental findings highlighted the superior predictive performance of Random Forest and XGBoost models in classifying material hardship, while the Stacking Ensemble Model emerged as the most effective predictor of grade point average (GPA) and grit. Our research underscores the critical importance of tailored policy interventions grounded in empirical evidence to address childhood disabilities within fragile families, thus offering invaluable insights for policymakers and practitioners alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes and conditions of displacement often increase the vulnerability of migrant and refugee populations to food insecurity, alongside other material hardships. We aimed to examine the multidimensional aspects and patterns of food insecurity and other material hardships in a cross-sectional sample of 6221 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in urban Colombia using a latent class analysis. Using multinomial and logistic regression models, we investigated the demographic and migratory experiences associated with identified classes and how class membership is associated with multiple health outcomes among Venezuelan refugees and migrants, respectively. Approximately two thirds of the sample was comprised cisgender women, and the participants had a median age of 32 years (IQR: 26–41). Four heterogeneous classes of food insecurity and material hardships emerged: Class 1—low food insecurity and material hardship; Class 2—high food insecurity and material hardship; Class 3—high income hardship with insufficient food intake; and Class 4—income hardship with food affordability challenges. Class 2 reflected the most severe food insecurity and material hardships and had the highest class membership; Venezuelans with an irregular migration status were almost 1.5 times more likely to belong to this class. Food insecurity and material hardship class membership was independently associated with self-rated health, mental health symptoms, and recent violence victimization and marginally associated with infectious disease outcomes (laboratory-confirmed HIV and/or syphilis infection). Social safety nets, social protection, and other interventions that reduce and prevent material hardships and food insecurity among refugees and migrants, alongside the host community, may improve public health, support development, and reduce healthcare costs. In the long term, regularization and social policies for migrants aimed at enhancing refugees' and migrants' social and economic inclusion may contribute to improving food security in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Child protective services (CPS) contact is consistently linked with poverty in the US, and empirical evidence is mounting to indicate that disparate exposure to income poverty explains a substantial portion of racial inequities in CPS involvement. Evidence about the different distributions of income poverty and material hardship also suggests that income poverty may not sufficiently capture economic wellbeing among families. This paper assessed whether differences in exposure to income poverty and/or material hardship explain racial inequities in CPS contact and further examined whether income poverty and material hardship predict CPS contact differently within racialized groups. METHODS: We used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), an urban cohort representative of births in large US cities in 1998–2000. The FFCWS data are ideal for this study in capturing each of the key constructs: racialized group membership, income, material hardship, and CPS contact. We measured income poverty and material hardship when children were age 1 and measured any CPS contact by age five. Our final sample included 3,517 families, including 1,848 Black, 614 white, and 1,055 Latinx families. We employed logistic regression to assess the associations between income poverty and material hardship, independently and jointly, and CPS contact. We conducted analyses in our full analytic sample and among subsamples of the Black, white, and Latinx families. RESULTS: We found that differences in income-to-poverty ratio account for differences in CPS contact between Black and white families. Differences in CPS contact between Black and Latinx families were not explained by economic wellbeing measures alone but were ameliorated when differences in income poverty, material hardship, and a full set of family characteristics were considered. Additionally, we found that material hardship was a consistent predictor of CPS contact in the full sample and within each of the Black, white, and Latinx subsamples, even accounting for differences in income and other family characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The clear role of income poverty in explaining inequities in CPS contact between Black and white families and the consistent importance of material hardship in predicting CPS contact across all families underscore the critical importance of reducing income poverty and hardship and of distinguishing material need from maltreatment in the context of CPS. Our findings offer clear implications for policy intervention to reduce income poverty and material hardship. Such interventions might include extending the temporarily expanded Child Tax Credit and expanded food and housing assistance benefits, toward the ends of supporting child and family wellbeing and reducing economic and racial inequities in CPS contact.

This study examined the associations of multifaceted material hardship measured cross‐sectionally and longitudinally with children's well‐being in the United States. Results from linear regression and child fixed effects models indicated that more intense material hardship had consistent, detrimental associations with child health status and internalizing and externalizing behaviours. More intense longitudinal patterns of material hardship were consistently associated with behaviours only. These findings examine new, multifaceted measures of material hardship and suggest associations between child well‐being, particularly behaviour challenges, and exposure both to multiple forms of material hardship and to more intense long‐term patterns of hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic may constitute a traumatic event for families with young children due to its acute onset, the unpredictable and ubiquitous nature, and the highly distressing disruptions it caused in family lives. Despite the prevalent challenges such as material hardships, child care disruptions, and social isolation, some families evinced remarkable resilience in the face of this potentially traumatic event. This study examined domains of changes perceived by parents of young children that were consistent with the post-traumatic growth (PTG) model as factors that facilitate family resilience processes. Methods: This study drew data from the RAPID project, a large ongoing national study that used frequent online surveys to examine the pandemic impact on U.S. households with young children. A subsample of 669 families was leveraged for the current investigation, including 8.07% Black, 9.57% Latino(a), 74.44% non-Latino(a) White families, and 7.92% households of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. In this subsample, 26.36% were below 200% federal poverty level. Results: Approximately half of the parents reported moderate-to-large degrees of changes during the pandemic, and the most prevalent domain of change was appreciation of life, followed by personal strengths, new possibilities, improved relationships, and spiritual growth. Black and Latino(a) parents reported more changes in all five domains than White parents and more spiritual growth than parents of the other racial/ethnic groups. Moreover, parent-reported improved relationships were found to indirectly reduce young children's overall fussiness/defiance and fear/anxiety symptoms through reducing parents' emotional distress. Perceived changes in the new possibilities, personal strengths, and appreciation of life domains were found to serve as protective factors that buffered the indirect impacts of material hardship mean levels on child behavioral symptoms via mitigating parents' emotional distress. Discussion: These findings shed light on resilience processes of a family system in a large-scale, disruptive, and stressful socio-historical event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The five PTG domains could inform therapeutic and intervention practices in the face of future similar events. Importantly, these findings and the evinced family resilience should not negate the urgent needs of policy and program efforts to address material hardships, financial instabilities, and race/ethnicity-based structural inequalities for families of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have highlighted persistent differentials in income pooling (whether couples combine their earnings or keep their money separate) between married and cohabiting couples. The theories guiding research on income pooling suggest that couples pool their incomes for a variety of reasons, including increasing interdependence and growing commitment, but it is also likely that couples pool their incomes to pay for intra-household needs and avoid financial difficulties and material hardship. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (N = 517), we examined the associations between income pooling and measures of commitment and material hardship among married and cohabiting young adults (ages 22–29). Results show that increasing levels of commitment were associated with higher odds of completely income pooling, regardless of union status. Further, the odds of complete income pooling rose with increasing material hardship. However, the married-cohabiting gap in income pooling persisted after controlling for demographic factors, employment characteristics, and relationship characteristics: married young adults had significantly higher odds of income pooling than cohabiting young adults. Standardized estimates reveal that, although there are significant differences in commitment and material hardship between married and cohabiting young adults, these compositional differences do not drive the married-cohabiting income pooling gap. Instead, there are differences in role of commitment and material hardship for these young couples. Overall, results suggest that income pooling behavior is both an indicator of commitment and a strategy to manage economic hardship among married and cohabiting young adults in the U.S. These findings provide new insights into how young adults may navigate commitment and financial concerns within their intimate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data and research shed fresh light on our understanding of persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa New Zealand. They show that, while overall income poverty and material hardship has declined significantly over the past decade or so, a small proportion of the population continues to experience multiple, complex disadvantages over many years, and sometimes generations. There has been little meaningful policy action aimed specifically at assisting this cohort of people who are experiencing the greatest need. Fundamental changes are needed across a range of systems. Providing effective supports and investments, and removing structural barriers and inequities, would have significant intergenerational pay-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among animals defined as "pests", cockroaches and rodents (mouse and rat) represent the most common cause of airway allergic sensitization and bronchial asthma worldwide. Their frequency of sensitization has been widely assessed in US and other countries but poorly in Western Europe. This narrative review aims to provide a synthesis of data resulting in MEDLINE concerning allergic sensitization/asthma to pests as well as their related environmental/social risk factors, specifically in the European area. We performed a literature research in MEDLINE for clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We selected studies to the following key words: allergic sensitization, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, cockroach, hypersensitivity, integrated pest management, material hardship, medication compliance, mouse, pest, poverty, rat, rodents. Current evidence indicates that residence in poor and urban areas, exposure to outdoor/indoor pollutants and tobacco smoke, poverty, material hardship, poor-quality housing, differences in health care quality, medication compliance, health care access contribute to increased pest-related allergic sensitization and asthma morbidity. Further research should be done on many aspects of pest allergy such as a better characterization of allergens and epidemiological aspects. Relevant social actions should be carried out against poverty, healthcare disparities, psycho-social stress, poor compliance to therapy, with economic contributions to improve private and public living environments. Allergic sensitization to pests and pest-allergic respiratory diseases like asthma are "paradoxical" conditions, as they typically affect the poorest communities but can only be corrected by high-cost (diagnostic and preventive) interventions. We hope that progress can be made in this direction in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study used the family stress model to test the mechanisms by which economic insecurity contributes to mothers' and fathers' mental health and couples' relationship functioning. Background: Although low household income has been a focus of poverty research, material hardship—defined as everyday challenges related to making ends meet including difficulties paying for housing, utilities, food, or medical care—is common among American families. Methods: Participants were from the Building Strong Families project. Couples were racially diverse (43.52% Black; 28.88% Latinx; 17.29% White; 10.31% Other) and living with low income (N = 2794). Economic insecurity included income poverty and material hardship. Bayesian mediation analysis was employed, taking advantage of the prior evidence base of the family stress model. Results: Material hardship, but not income poverty, predicted higher levels of both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms. Only paternal depressive symptoms were linked with higher levels of destructive interparental conflict (i.e., moderate verbal aggression couples use that could be harmful to the partner relationship). Mediation analysis confirmed that material hardship operated primarily through paternal depressive symptoms in its association with destructive interparental conflict. Conclusion: The economic stress of meeting the daily material needs of the family sets the stage for parental mental health problems that carry over to destructive interparental conflict, especially through paternal depressive symptoms. Implications: Family‐strengthening programs may want to consider interventions to address material hardship (e.g., comprehensive needs assessments, connections to community‐based resources, parents' employment training) as part of their efforts to address parental mental health and couples' destructive conflict behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiences of material hardship vary across poor families, but little is understood about this variability. The present study aimed to distinguish subtypes of material hardship as well as which characteristics predict subtypes. Latent class analysis with data from a large, longitudinal study of families with youth children investigated subtypes of material hardship as well as predictors of subtypes. Multinomial logistic regression then predicted class membership used on known housing risk factors maternal IPV victimization, depression, and substance use. Analyses identified three distinct subtypes of material hardship: "Housing Insecure," "Food Insecure," and "Cost‐Burdened but Managing." Maternal IPV victimization and depression reduced likelihood of membership in the "Managing" class, but no predictors distinguished families who become food versus housing insecure. Findings suggest widespread financial stress and complex tradeoffs for low‐income families, who struggle to afford basic needs. Maternal safety and mental health prove crucial to families' coping abilities. Increased systemic supports targeting specific circumstances may promote stability and prevent more severe hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examines the associations between employment status and mental health and the mediating role of material hardship among low‐income households in South Korea. This study uses regression models with a rich set of control variables and lagged dependent variable models with a nationally representative sample of 1113 low‐income working‐age household heads from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS). We find that the nonstandard employment and unemployment statuses are associated with a higher level of depression and a lower level of self‐esteem, when compared to a standard employment status. These negative associations are partially mediated by an increased material hardship risk. Policy implications to improve employment conditions and mitigate material hardship are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the experiences of Marshallese diasporic migrants in the United States (U.S.) during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to material hardship and community-led relief efforts. Focus groups with 53 Marshallese migrants in three states revealed that material hardship, including food and housing insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and difficulty paying bills, intensified among their communities during the pandemic. In response, Marshallese community-based groups provided relief to their fellow community members, including food, cash assistance, and personal protective equipment. The findings fit a pattern of intensified hardship and community-led relief among marginalized communities in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity is an indicator of well-being in the United States. A high proportion of recipients of charitable food assistance (CFA) are women and are often in charge of specific household managerial responsibilities (e.g., childcare, transportation). Consequently, they frequently face choices between paying for food and paying for other basic need(s). This study aims to examine which hunger-coping economic tradeoffs place females with at least one dependent child in the house and females without a dependent child in the house at risk for experiencing food insecurity. Data was collected at 10 Houston-area and 10-Atlanta-area food pantries in 2022 (N = 883). Using USDA cutoff criteria, households were considered food insecure based on ≥3 affirmative responses to the 18-item Food Security Scale Module. Hunger-coping economic tradeoff experiences were based on affirmative responses to whether anyone in the household ever had to choose between food and six basic needs (i.e. childcare, medicine/medical care, utilities, rent/mortgage, transportation, education). Covariate-adjusted logistic regression models were conducted to understand the relationship between six hunger-coping economic tradeoffs and food insecurity for the entire analytic sample and stratified by whether the female participant had a child in house. Standard errors in all regression models were corrected to account for multiple observations within a pantry. Adults, on average, were 55 years old (58% food insecure; 47% Hispanic; 42% black). Four hunger-coping economic tradeoffs were related to experiencing food insecurity. Economic tradeoffs between food and a) medicine/medical care and b) transportation elevated the likelihood of food insecurity, regardless of child status. Tradeoffs between food and childcare increased the risk for experiencing food insecurity among females with a dependent child. Deciding to pay between food and utilities was related to food insecurity experiences among females without a dependent child. Increases in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and eligibility along with programs to enhance resources related to medical care, transportation, childcare and utilities could help reduce food insecurity, especially among CFA recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: High quality child care positively affects long-term development in children and is a necessary support for parents who work or are in school. We assessed the association between child care setting and parents' report of difficulties with ability to work and/or further their education ("child care constraints") or material hardships among families with low incomes. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were analyzed from families in Minneapolis, MN with children aged six weeks to 48 months in child care from 2004 to 2017. Associations between child care setting (formal, informal relative, informal non-relative) and child care constraints or material hardships (household/child food insecurity, housing instability, energy instability) were examined. RESULTS: Among 1580 families, 73.8% used informal care. Child care subsidy and public assistance program participation were higher among families utilizing formal care. Compared to formal care, families using informal relative or non-relative care had 2.44 and 4.18 greater adjusted odds of child care constraints, respectively. Families with children in informal non-relative care had 1.51 greater adjusted odds of household food insecurity. There were no statistically significant associations between informal relative care and household or child food insecurity, and no associations between child care setting and housing instability or energy insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Informal care settings--relative and non-relative-- were associated with child care constraints, and informal non-relative care with household food insecurity. Investment to expand equitable access to affordable, high-quality child care is necessary to enable parents to pursue desired employment and education and reduce food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the life stories of 107 low‐income older adults to assess critical points in which to intervene and potentially prevent senior food insecurity. Participants were recruited from various social service agencies throughout Dallas county. They were asked about life experiences, food insecurity, economic hardships, and health challenges. We utilized qualitative (thematic and content) and quantitative (bivariate and multiple regression) analyses. Our data suggest that vulnerable seniors often experience multiple hardships simultaneously, which play off one another and create tradeoffs. These hardships sometimes pose barriers to receiving assistance. Prior experiences of hardship also modify expectations of hardships in older adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether and how wage increases are associated with hardships experienced by low-wage workers and their strategies to manage these hardships. Data are drawn from a survey of 166 hospital service, clerical, and technical workers at a large hospital in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Following an initial wage increase, workers experienced fewer hardships and used fewer strategies to make ends meet, such as financial support from family and public benefits programs. Hardships decreased more for workers making above $15 an hour. These results suggest that raising the wages of low-wage workers can help reduce the hardships they experience and the need to use a variety of strategies to make ends meet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated risk for reading problems. They are also likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution and to experience material hardship. Despite these risk factors, the links between prenatal chemical exposures, socioeconomic adversities, and reading problems in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds remain understudied. Here we examine associations between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a common air pollutant, and reading skills, and determine if this relationship is exacerbated by material hardship among Black and/or Latinx children who have been followed as part of a longitudinal urban birth cohort. Methods: Mothers and their children, who were participants in a prospective birth cohort followed by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, were recruited for the current study. Personal prenatal PAH exposure was measured during the third-trimester of pregnancy using a personal air monitoring backpack. Mothers reported their level of material hardship when their child was age 5 and children completed measures of pseudoword and word reading [Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Basic Reading Index] at age 7. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of the interaction between prenatal PAH and material hardship on Basic Reading Index, controlling for ethnicity/race, sex, birthweight, presence of a smoker in the home (prenatal), and maternal education (prenatal) (N = 53). Results: A prenatal PAH x material hardship interaction significantly associated with WJ-III Basic Reading Index scores at age 7 (β = -0.347, t(44) = -2.197, p = 0.033). Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect was driven by untimed pseudoword decoding (WJ-III Word Attack: β = - 0.391, t(44) = -2.550, p = 0.014). Conclusion: Environmental chemical exposures can be particularly toxic during the prenatal period when the fetal brain undergoes rapid development, making it uniquely vulnerable to chemical perturbations. These data highlight the interactive effects of environmental neurotoxicants and unmet basic needs on children's acquisition of reading skill, specifically phonemic processing. Such findings identify potentially modifiable environmental risk factors implicated in reading problems in children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parents' concerns about discrimination predicted children's externalizing behaviors. • Material hardship predicted children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. • Health-related risks predicted children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Systemic racism and discriminatory practices continue to disproportionally expose Black children and families to less than optimal health and economic resources. COVID-19 sheds existing light on how longstanding systemic inequalities affecting Black children and families create racial disparities in accessing material resources. The purpose of this study (N = 704 Black caregivers) is to better understand the relationship between experiences of racial discrimination, access to material resources (i.e., health-promoting resources and economic resources), and Black children's behavioral functioning during the pandemic. Through the application of ordinary least squares regression analysis, we find that inadequate material resources (both health-related risks and economic hardship) during the pandemic were associated with heightened caregiver report that their child was frequently fussy or defiant (externalizing) and frequently anxious or fearful (internalizing). The study found no significant links between caregivers' experiences of discrimination during the pandemic and children's behavioral functioning. However, the study found a significant link between caregivers' concern for their children's experiences of discrimination and their children's externalizing behaviors. Findings from this study offer an important contribution to understanding how factors rooted in systemic racism—access to material resources—and experiences of discrimination affect Black children's well-being during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a sudden economic crisis that led to increases in hardship and poverty. Motivated by the concern that people living in long-term poverty have few reserves to draw upon in times of crisis and may experience severe consequences, this study focuses on the association between material hardship and emotional wellbeing among people in poverty. The data were collected in two waves of telephone surveys during the pandemic (n = 88). Participants for the study were recruited through social service departments in six cities in Northern Israel. The findings show that COVID-19 increased material hardship, and that material hardship has detrimental effects on the four measures of emotional wellbeing selected (stress, anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms). Informal social support has positive effects on emotional wellbeing but it does not counter the negative effects of material hardship. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundChildren from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated risk for reading problems. They are also likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution and to experience material hardship. Despite these risk factors, the links between prenatal chemical exposures, socioeconomic adversities, and reading problems in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds remain understudied. Here we examine associations between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a common air pollutant, and reading skills, and determine if this relationship is exacerbated by material hardship among Black and/or Latinx children who have been followed as part of a longitudinal urban birth cohort.MethodsMothers and their children, who were participants in a prospective birth cohort followed by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, were recruited for the current study. Personal prenatal PAH exposure was measured during the third-trimester of pregnancy using a personal air monitoring backpack. Mothers reported their level of material hardship when their child was age 5 and children completed measures of pseudoword and word reading [Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Basic Reading Index] at age 7. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of the interaction between prenatal PAH and material hardship on Basic Reading Index, controlling for ethnicity/race, sex, birthweight, presence of a smoker in the home (prenatal), and maternal education (prenatal) (N = 53).ResultsA prenatal PAH × material hardship interaction significantly associated with WJ-III Basic Reading Index scores at age 7 (β = −0.347, t(44) = −2.197, p = 0.033). Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect was driven by untimed pseudoword decoding (WJ-III Word Attack: β = −0.391, t(44) = −2.550, p = 0.014).ConclusionEnvironmental chemical exposures can be particularly toxic during the prenatal period when the fetal brain undergoes rapid development, making it uniquely vulnerable to chemical perturbations. These data highlight the interactive effects of environmental neurotoxicants and unmet basic needs on children’s acquisition of reading skill, specifically phonemic processing. Such findings identify potentially modifiable environmental risk factors implicated in reading problems in children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Effective finance is a finance system that assures individuals and families of having beneficial access to financial services and skills. It is a precondition for financial well‐being. Drawing upon a low‐income sample (N = 1473) from the 2016 National Financial Well‐Being Survey, this study examines whether financial skills and financial access are associated with financial well‐being and material hardship. The results identify positive interactions between financial access and financial skills on financial well‐being. The findings point to effective finance policies that have the potential to reduce material hardship and support financial well‐being for low‐income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to (1) demonstrate the application of percentiles to advance the interpretation of patient‐reported outcomes and (2) establish autism‐specific percentiles for four Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures. PROMIS measures were completed by parents of autistic children and adolescents ages 5–17 years as part of two studies (n = 939 parents in the first study and n = 406 parents in the second study). Data from the first study were used to develop autism‐specific percentiles for PROMIS parent‐proxy sleep disturbance, sleep‐related impairment, fatigue, and anxiety. Previously established United States general population percentiles were applied to interpret PROMIS scores in both studies. Results of logistic regression models showed that parent‐reported material hardship was associated with scoring in the moderate–severe range (defined as ≥75th percentile in the general population) on all four PROMIS measures (odds ratios 1.7–2.2). In the second study, the percentage of children with severe scores (defined as ≥95th percentile in the general population) was 30% for anxiety, 25% for sleep disturbance, and 17% for sleep‐related impairment, indicating a high burden of these problems among autistic children. Few children had scores at or above the autism‐specific 95th percentile on these measures (3%–4%), indicating that their scores were similar to other autistic children. The general population and condition‐specific percentiles provide two complementary reference points to aid interpretation of PROMIS scores, including corresponding severity categories that are comparable across different PROMIS measures. Lay Summary: Patient‐reported outcome measures are used to assess patients' health from the perspective of patients and their families, but it can be difficult to interpret scores on these measures. This study demonstrated how percentiles may help clinicians and others understand patient‐reported outcome scores for children on the autism spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the components and mechanisms of the financial capability framework using national representative data from the 2015 National Financial Capability Study with the structural equation modeling approach. We find financial socialization and financial education are significantly associated with both financial access and financial literacy, which are associated with positive financial behavior and negatively associated with economic hardship. We further find that financial access plays a more pronounced role in the mediation effects decomposition compared to financial literacy. Our findings demonstrate that financial capability lies in both the opportunity to act and the ability to act—with opportunity relatively more important than ability—and that financial capability is strongly associated with household experiences of economic hardship. Policies and programs should provide accessible and affordable financial products as well as enhance effective financial education and guidance to promote financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Low socioeconomic status deemed by income-based measures is a risk factor for depression. Material hardship is commonly used as a multidimensional socioeconomic indicator to identify the struggles that low-income households encounter that are not captured by conventional income-based measures. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of material hardship on depression. Methods We used wave 3 (2008) to wave 12 (2017) panel data collected by the Korea Welfare Panel Study. The material hardship measure included six dimensions: food, housing, medical care, paying utility bills, education, and financial hardship. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-11). A generalised estimating equation model was applied to test the causal association between material hardship and log transferred CESD-11. Results The first time point comprised 3,866 participants. Those who continually experienced material hardship had higher depression scores (male: β = 2.82, female: β = 3.98, p-value:

This exploratory study used the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to compare the financial well-being of families of adolescents with and without autism. Recognizing the gap in autism research, which predominantly measures financial well-being through household income, this study employed a multidimensional approach, including indicators of assets, material hardships, and both formal and informal safety net access. We found that families with autistic adolescents experienced greater financial instability, including a higher likelihood of substantial income drops and bankruptcy. Despite similar access to food assistance programs, food insecurity was notably higher among these families, especially in the lowest income brackets where nearly all families utilized food assistance. Furthermore, material hardship prevalence (46.4%) exceeded income poverty (29.8%), among families with autistic adolescents. A substantial proportion of middle- to high-income families also experienced hardships, had no assets, and lacked connection to safety net programs, suggesting that income-based metrics may not fully capture the financial challenges families face. The findings highlight the need for policies that acknowledge the broader financial needs of families with autistic adolescents, underscoring the inadequacies of current support systems.Our study looks at how families with autistic teenagers manage financially compared with families with teenagers who do not have autism. We know that money matters are a big part of life’s overall quality and that autistic individuals and their families often face more financial challenges. These challenges can affect their health, social connections, and access to needed services. What our research adds is a closer look at these financial difficulties by considering not just how much money a family has but also what they own, their struggles to meet basic needs, and the help they get from both government programs and their own social circles. We found that families with autistic teenagers often deal with more financial problems, including not having enough food, even though they might be using available support programs. This is important because it shows us that the current ways of helping may not be enough. Our findings suggest we need to think more broadly about how to support these families. This could mean making policies that better address their unique needs or coming up with new ways to help them that go beyond just looking at income. Understanding these challenges better can help us make life better for autistic individuals and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of people in the United States provide unpaid care to family and friends with long‐term illnesses and disabilities. Research shows that informal caregiving can be beneficial for recipients of care, but taxing for those providing care. Studies have not explored associations between informal caregiving and the risk of experiencing different forms of material hardship. In this study, we use data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 31,633) to address this gap in the literature. The sample was drawn from a multistage‐stratified sample of the civilian, non‐institutionalised population of the United States. We analyse data that were collected in 2011 and find that providing informal care to others is associated with an increased risk of experiencing healthcare hardship, bill‐paying hardship and food insecurity. Moreover, we find that household financial resources mediate the association between caregiving and material hardship. As a result, while caregiving households face a higher risk of experiencing material hardships at all income levels, the disparity is largest at low incomes and smallest at high incomes. The findings highlight the need for a stronger safety net for informal caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material hardship has emerged as a direct measure of deprivation in the United States and an important complement to income poverty, providing different evidence about the ways in which deprivation may affect wellbeing. This study addresses gaps in our knowledge about deprivation as the first to examine patterns of material hardship over time. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study, this study examined five material hardship types (food, housing, medical, utility, and bill-paying) experienced at five timepoints over 15 years. Employing latent class analysis and latent transition analysis, this study identified six longitudinal patterns of material hardship experience, characterized by trajectories of stability or movement and relative severity of material hardship experience over time. These findings improve our conceptual understanding of deprivation and move us towards understanding the impacts of material hardship on wellbeing and identifying policy approaches to prevent deprivation or mitigate negative consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite a growing body of evidence for the association between housing cost burden and psychological health, few studies have focused on the potential mediators of this association and the extent to which housing cost burden poses a threat to older adults' psychological health. This study aims to assess (a) the link between housing cost burden and psychological health among older adults and (b) how the association is mediated by material hardship.Methods: Using thirteen waves of a nationally representative longitudinal study in Korea, this study assessed the association between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms among older adults aged 65 or over. Mediation tests were conducted to identify whether material hardship explains the link between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms. We used fixed-effects models to take into account individual-level heterogeneity.Results: Housing cost burden was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among older adults, regardless of their housing tenure status. Different types of material hardship partially mediated the association between housing cost burden and depressive symptoms in older adults. Older adults with severe housing cost burden are more susceptible to all types of material hardship compared to those with a moderate burden.Conclusions: To contribute further to the social causation discussions, future studies should seek to identify protective factors of depressive symptoms among older adults and other potential mechanisms of the association between older adults' socioeconomic conditions and their psychological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]