Highest Levels of Severe Poverty in America: A Growing Threat to Public Health

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Fri Mar-02-07 10:00 AM
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Highest Levels of Severe Poverty in America: A Growing Threat to Public Health

http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/PIIS0749379706002339/fulltext

The Rising Prevalence of Severe Poverty in America: A Growing Threat to Public Health
Steven H. Woolf, MD, MPHab, Robert E. Johnson, PhDac, H. Jack Geiger, MD, MSd

Background
The U.S. poverty rate has increased since 2000, but the depth of poverty experienced by Americans has been inadequately studied. Of particular concern is whether severe poverty is increasing, a trend that would carry important public health implications.

Methods
Income-to-poverty (I/P) ratios and income deficits/surpluses were examined for the 1990�2004 period. The severely poor, moderately poor, and near-poor were classified as those with I/P ratios of less than 0.5, 0.5 to 1.0, or 1.0 to 2.0, respectively. Income deficits/surpluses were classified relative to the poverty threshold as Tier I (deficit $8000 or more), Tier II (deficit or surplus less than $8000), or Tier III (surplus more than $8000). Odds ratios for severe poverty and Tier I were also calculated.

Results
Severe poverty increased between 2000 and 2004�those with I/P ratios of less than 0.5 grew by 20%, and Tier I grew by 45% to 55%�while the prevalence of higher levels of income diminished. The population in severe poverty was over-represented by children (odds ratio =1.69, confidence interval =1.63�1.75), African Americans (OR=2.84, CI=2.74�2.95), and Hispanics (OR=1.64, CI=1.58�1.71).

Conclusions
From 2000 to 2004, the prevalence of severe poverty increased sharply while the proportion of Americans in higher income tiers diminished. These trends have broad societal implications. Likely health consequences include a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses, more frequent and severe disease complications, and increased demands and costs for healthcare services. Adverse effects on children warrant special concern. The growth in the number of Americans living in poverty calls for the re-examination of policies enacted in recent years to foster economic progress.

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http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_055141357.html

Feb 24, 2007 2:12 pm US/Eastern

Severe Poverty At Its Highest Level In America
US Corporate Profits At Highest Levels, Too

(CBS4) WASHINGTON The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty is the highest in thirty years, in which millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line, and the gulf between this country�s ''haves'' and ''have-nots'' gets wider.

The McClatchy Company - owners of the Miami Herald � a CBS4 news partner - went through an analysis of 2005 census figures, the latest available, and found that nearly 16 million Americans are living in deep or severe poverty.

A family of four, with two children and an annual income of less than $9,903 -- half the federal poverty line -- was considered severely poor in 2005. So were individuals who made less than $5,080 a year.

At the same time, economists found worker productivity increasing sizeably since the brief recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged behind. The share of national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries. Median household income of working-age families, adjusted for inflation, has fallen for five straight years.

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