Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T08:17:29.253Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Multidimensional poverty index: a multilevel analysis of deprivation among Iranian older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2022

Seyed Hossein Mohaqeqi Kamal Open the ORCID record for Seyed Hossein Mohaqeqi Kamal [Opens in a new window] ,
Mehdi Basakha Open the ORCID record for Mehdi Basakha [Opens in a new window]  and
Sabina Alkire Open the ORCID record for Sabina Alkire [Opens in a new window]
Seyed Hossein Mohaqeqi Kamal
Affiliation:
Social Welfare Management Department, School of Education Sciences and Social Welfare, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Social Welfare Management Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Basakha*
Affiliation:
Social Welfare Management Department, School of Education Sciences and Social Welfare, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sabina Alkire
Affiliation:
The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: Me.basakha@uswr.ac.ir
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although the older adult population faces a higher risk of poverty compared to others, there is no clear picture of their poverty in Iran. The aim of this study was to measure multidimensional poverty and its related factors among Iranian older adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2019 and collected data by interviewing 1,280 participants in Tehran, Iran. To compute multidimensional poverty, four dimensions were used: health (disabilities), education, housing and standard of living. Single and multidimensional poverty and the joint distribution of deprivation were calculated. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between predictor variables and outcome (multidimensional poverty). Multidimensional poverty among Tehran's older people was 59.0 per cent. The prevalence of health, housing, education and standard of living deprivations were 15.4, 25.3, 29.5 and 29.9 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, multivariate analysis shows that living with a spouse, being employed, and having health and social insurance coverage were protective factors, while being female was a risk factor for multidimensional poverty. Approximately 21 per cent of multidimensional poverty variance was attributed to the district level and the remaining was assigned to individual-level factors. This study showed that the older adults living in different areas of Tehran experience different aspects of poverty. So paying attention to the dimensions of multidimensional poverty can play an important role in customising the policies of each district. Also, the findings of this study on risk and protective factors of multidimensional poverty can be effective in designing and implementing interventions to mitigate poverty among the older adults.

Keywords

povertyolder adultsdeprivationmultidimensional approachmultilevel analysisIran
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , February 2024 , pp. 337 - 356
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agarwal, A, Lubet, A, Mitgang, E, Mohanty, S and Bloom, DE (2020) Population aging in India: facts, issues, and options. In Poot, J and Roskruge, M (eds), Population Change and Impacts in Asia and the Pacific. Singapor: Springer, pp. 289–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ali-Maddadi MS (2008) Measuring Multidimensional Indicators of Poverty in Iran in 2004 and 2006 (MSc thesis). Sharif University of Technology, Tehran.Google Scholar
Alkire, S (2005) Why the capability approach? Journal of Human Development 6, 115–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alkire, S (2007) The missing dimensions of poverty data: introduction to the special issue. Oxford Development Studies 35, 347–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alkire, S and Foster, J (2011) Counting and multidimensional poverty measurement. Journal of Public Economics 95, 476–487.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alkire, S and Santos, ME (2014) Measuring acute poverty in the developing world: robustness and scope of the multidimensional poverty index. World Development 59, 251–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amini, R, Chee, KH, Keya, S and Ingman, SR (2021) Elder care in Iran: a case with a unique demographic profile. Journal of Aging & Social Policy 33, 611–625.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Antczak, R and Zaidi, A (2016) Risk of poverty among older people in EU countries. CESifo DICE Report 14, 37–46.Google Scholar
Asadi-Lari, M, Vaez-Mahdavi, MR, Faghihzadeh, S, Cherghian, B, Esteghamati, A, Farshad, AA, Golmakani, M, Haeri-Mehrizi, AA, Hesari, H, Kalantari, N, Kamali, M, Kordi, R, Malek-Afzali, H, Montazeri, A, Moradi-Lakeh, M, Motevallian, A, Noorbala, A, Raghfar, H and Razzaghi, E (2013) Response-oriented measuring inequalities in Tehran: second round of UrbanHealth Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-2), concepts and framework. Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran 27, 236–248.Google ScholarPubMed
Becker, GS (2007) Health as human capital: synthesis and extensions. Oxford Economic Papers 59, 379–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berthoud, R, Blekesaune, M and Hancock, R (2009) Ageing, income and living standards: evidence from the British Household Panel Survey. Ageing & Society 29, 1105–1122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourguignon, F and Chakravarty, SR (2019) The measurement of multidimensional poverty. In Chakravarty, S (ed.), Poverty, Social Exclusion and Stochastic Dominance. Singapore: Springer, pp. 83–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, LS and Chou, KL (2018) Poverty in old age: evidence from Hong Kong. Ageing & Society 38, 37–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, KM and Leu, CH (2022) Multidimensional perspective of the poverty and dynamics of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. International Social Work 65, 139–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chou, KL and Lee, SY (2018) Superimpose material deprivation study on poverty old age people in Hong Kong study. Social Indicators Research 139, 1015–1036.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Housing and Urban Development (2021) Criteria and Standards of Residential Spaces. Available at https://shahrhayejadid.com/blogs/ZezmobNE/.Google Scholar
Dhongde, S (2017) Assessing multidimensional deprivation among the elderly in the USA. In White, R (ed.), Measuring Multidimensional Poverty and Deprivation. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 255–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frey, WH (2018) Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics Are Remaking America. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.Google Scholar
Gasparini, L, Alejo, J, Haimovich, F, Olivieri, S and Tornarolli, L (2010) Poverty among older people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Journal of International Development 22, 176–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harouni, GG, Sajjadi, H, Rafiey, H, Mirabzadeh, A, Vaez-Mahdavi, M and Kamal, SHM (2017) Current status of health index in Tehran: a multidimensional approach. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran 31, 29.Google Scholar
Kakwani, N and Subbarao, K (2007) Poverty among the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the role of social pensions. Journal of Development Studies 43, 987–1008.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiani, S, Bayanzadeh, M, Tavalaei, M and Hogg, RS (2010) The Iranian population is graying: are we ready?. Archives of Iranian Medicine 13, 333–339.Google ScholarPubMed
Ku, I and Kim, C (2020) Decomposition analyses of the trend in poverty among older adults: the case of South Korea. Journals of Gerontology: Series B 75, 684–693.Google ScholarPubMed
Maasoumi, E and Lugo, MA (2008) The information basis of multivariate poverty assessments. In Kakwani, N and Silber, J (eds), Quantitative Approaches to Multidimensional Poverty Measurement. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1–29.Google Scholar
Mahoozi, H (2015) Gender and Spatial Disparity of Multidimensional Poverty in Iran.Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, Working Paper No. 95. Available at: https://www.ophi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/OPHIWP095.pdfGoogle Scholar
McKay, S and Leu, CH (2008) Multidimensional perspective of the poverty and dynamics of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. International Social Work 65, 139–156.Google Scholar
Mehri, N, Messkoub, M and Kunkel, S (2020) Trends, determinants and the implications of population aging in Iran. Ageing International 45, 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesthrige Jayantha, W and Lau, SSY (2008) Floor space per person and housing development: an urban growth approach to estimate housing supply in Hong Kong. Urban Policy and Research 26, 177–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moghadam, N (2016) Study of the Dimensions of Poverty of the Elderly and the Factors Affecting It in Iran in 2016 (MSc thesis). University of Tehran, Tehran.Google Scholar
Mohaqeqi Kamal, SH, Harouni, GG and Basakha, M (2019 a) Spatial pattern of well-being in Tehran: the north–south gap. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran 33, 112.Google ScholarPubMed
Mohaqeqi Kamal, SH, Harouni, GG, Basakha, M and Makki Alamdari, S (2019 b) Multidimensional child poverty index in Iran: distribution of deprivation across provinces. Journal of Poverty 23, 353–364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nardo, M, Saisana, M, Saltelli, A, Tarantola, S, Hoffman, A and Giovannini, E (2008) Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators: Methodology and User Guide. Available at http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2005doc.nsf/.Google Scholar
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (2020) What is Multidimensional Poverty? Available at https://ophi.org.uk/policy/multidimensional-poverty-index/.Google Scholar
Peugh, JL (2010) A practical guide to multilevel modeling. Journal of School Psychology 48, 85–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raghfar, H and Mohammadifard, Z (2013) The measurement of multidimensional poverty in Tehran. The Economic Research 13, 1–16.Google Scholar
Reeves, R, Rodrigue, E and Kneebone, E (2016) Five evils: multidimensional poverty and race in America. Center on Children and Families at Brookings. ED568952. Available at https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/reeveskneebonerodrigue_multidimensionalpoverty_fullpaper.pdfGoogle Scholar
Sajjadi, H, Harouni, GG, Rafiey, H, Vaez-Mahdavi, M, Vameghi, M and Kamal, SHM (2020) Contextual and individual determinants of mental health: a cross-sectional multilevel study in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 53, 189–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Secretariat of the National Council of the Elderly (2020) National Document of the Country's Elderly. Tehran: Secretariat of the National Council of the Elderly.Google Scholar
Sen, A (2004) Elements of a theory of human rights. Philosophy & Public Affairs 32, 315–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sen, A (2018) Collective Choice and Social Welfare. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Smeeding, TM (2001) Income Maintenance in Old Age: What Can Be Learned from Cross-national Comparisons. Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Working Paper No. 263. Available at https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2001/05/wp_2001-11.pdfGoogle Scholar
Soltani, A, Pojani, D, Askari, S and Masoumi, HE (2018) Socio-demographic and built environment determinants of car use among older adults in Iran. Journal of Transport Geography 68, 109–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Centre of Iran (2016 a) Population and Housing Census. Tehran: Statistical Centre of Iran.Google Scholar
Statistical Centre of Iran (2016 b) The Statistical Yearbook of Iran 2016. Available at https://www.amar.org.ir/english/Iran-Statistical-Yearbook.Google Scholar
Tai, T and Treas, J (2009) Does household composition explain welfare regime poverty risks for older adults and other household members? Journals of Gerontology: Series B 64, 777–787.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsui, K-y (2002) Multidimensional poverty indices. Social Choice and Welfare 19, 69–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
United Nations (2019) World Population Ageing 2019. New York, NY: United Nations.Google Scholar
World Bank (2020) Age Dependency Ratio (% of Working-age Population). World Development Indicators. Available at https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.DPNDGoogle Scholar
Yun, S and Ko, K (2018) Multidimensional Elderly Poverty Index. Korea institute for Health and Social Affairs.Policy Report 2018-06. Available at http://repository.kihasa.re.kr/bitstream/201002/30989/1/Multidimensional%20Elderly%20Poverty%20Index.pdfGoogle Scholar
Zanjari, N and Sadeghi, R (2020) Iran's AgeWatch Index in 2016. Tehran: Saba Pension Strategies Institute.Google Scholar