Vulnerable

Population:
People Living in
Poverty
Abbey Brodeur, Alyssa Pato, and Kelly Morrison
 People Living in Poverty Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) poverty guidelines
effective January 26, 2017.

Income poverty: when a family's

income fails to meet a federally
established threshold--measured
with respect to families, not
individuals
Extreme poverty: possession of less
than 1$ a day

Poverty defined in terms of absolute

and relative:
Absolute poverty: measures
poverty in relation to the amount of
money necessary to meet basic
needs such as food, clothing, and
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (2017). U.S. federal poverty guidelines used to shelter
determine financial eligibility for certain federal programs. Retrieved from https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines Relative poverty: defines poverty
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (n.d). Poverty. Retrieved from
in relation to the economic status of
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/poverty/ other members of the society
 United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2017). Poverty demographics.

Poverty Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rural-poverty-well-being/poverty-

demographics/

Demographics

Areas with a high incidence of poverty often reflect the low In 2015, the nonmetro/metro difference was greatest for
income of their racial/ethnic minorities. Nonmetro blacks and children under 6 years old (27.7% nonmetro and 22.0%metro).
African Americans had the highest incidence of poverty in 2015 Overall child poverty rates (under 18 years) were 24.3 percent
(33.8%). in nonmetro areas and 20.1% in metro areas.
 Poverty Demographics

In 2014 those who had no

high school diploma comprise
a far greater share of the
population in poverty than
their share of the general
population

Center for Poverty Research University of California, Davis. (2015). How does level of education related to
poverty? Retrieved from http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/how-does-level-education-relate-poverty
Health Care
Disparity
Poverty is one of the major causes of poor health
In 2015, 46% of uninsured adults said that the primary reason they
were uninsured was because it was too expensive, making it the
most common reason cited for being uninsured
Because of the cost of care, many uninsured people do not obtain
the treatments their healthcare providers recommend for them.
Because people without health coverage are less likely than those
with insurance to have regular outpatient care, they are more
likely to be hospitalized for avoidable health problems and to
experience declines in their overall health.

Poor health is also one other major causes of poverty

Lacking insurance coverage puts people at risk for medical debt
In 2015, nearly half (45%) of uninsured adults said they owed
money on at least one medical bill.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016). Key facts about the uninsured population. Retrieved from
http://kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/
Health Disparity: Asthma
One study revealed that there is a 16-fold increase in asthma incidents based on zipcode in
New York City (as compared to the rest of the population)
Asthma symptoms are triggered by occupational hazards and airborne irritants
Those living in poverty more likely to be exposed to poor living conditions (exposure to
chemical fumes, mold, lack of air condition, air pollution) which predisposes to inflammation
of bronchial tubes
Those living in poverty are more likely to smoke and be exposed to secondhand smoke
Less education among those in poverty leads to them thinking coughing and wheezing is
normal; do not seek treatment
Even when properly diagnosed, those living in poverty have to choose between medications
and food, causing asthma to go untreated

Partners Healthcare Asthma Center. (2010). Poverty and asthma. Retrieved from http://www.asthma.partners.org/NewFiles/BoFAChapter15.html
 Health Disparity: Obesity
Individuals living in the most poverty-dense counties are
most prone to obesity
145% greater obesity rates in counties with poverty rates
of >35% in comparison to wealthy counties

How poverty is linked to obesity:

Poverty dense areas food deserts
-Poor access to fresh food
Food insecure unsure of having or unable to acquire
sufficient food
-43% of households with income below poverty line
->1 in 5 use Supplemental Nutrition Program
Less active in poverty areas
-Violence associated with poverty avoiding outdoors
-Facilities less available and affordable

Levine, J. A. (2011). Poverty and obesity in the U.S. Diabetes, 60(11), 2667-2668. doi: 10.2337/db11-1118
Culturally Competent Nursing
Intervention
Those living in poverty are more likely to have lower education levels
ANA Standards of Practice for Public Health Nursing
-Standard 5B. Health Teaching and Health Promotion
Implementing Health Teaching as an intervention
-Teaching appropriate healthy behaviors
-Teaching environmental contributors to poor health and how to avoid/decrease exposure
-Teach when to seek medical attention and proper care following diagnosis
-Teach what resources are available despite lower income
By increasing health education through health teaching, health disparities will be
decreased
-Seek treatment for chronic conditions such as asthma
-Understand the importance of decreasing exposure to environmental hazards
-Learn how to eat healthier foods to prevent obesity

Center on Society and Health. (2014). Why education matters to health: Exploring the causes. Retrieved from http://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-
the-causes.html
Application of the Health Belief
Model
By using Health Teaching as a nursing intervention to increase health
education, the Health Belief Model can be used
Improved health education among those living in poverty will increase:
-The populations perceived susceptibility
-The populations view of the severity of various health disparities
-The perceived benefits of taking action
-The self efficacy of individuals within this population
By improving these factors, there is an increased chance that individuals
living in poverty will engage in health promoting behaviors

Center on Society and Health. (2014). Why education matters to health: Exploring the causes. Retrieved from http://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-
the-causes.html
References
Center for Poverty Research University of California, Davis. (2015). How does level of education related to poverty? Retrieved from
http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/how-does-level-education-relate-poverty
Center on Society and Health. (2014). Why education matters to health: Exploring the causes. Retrieved from http://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-
projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-the-causes.html
Levine, J. A. (2011). Poverty and obesity in the U.S. Diabetes, 60(11), 2667-2668. doi: 10.2337/db11-1118
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (2017). U.S. federal poverty guidelines used to determine financial eligibility for
certain federal programs. Retrieved from https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
Partners Healthcare Asthma Center. (2010). Poverty and asthma. Retrieved from http://www.asthma.partners.org/NewFiles/BoFAChapter15.html
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016). Key facts about the uninsured population. Retrieved from http://kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-
facts-about-the-uninsured-population/
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (n.d). Poverty. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-
sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/poverty/
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2017). Poverty demographics. Retrieved from
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rural-poverty-well-being/poverty-demographics/