Multidimensional poverty and disability: A case control study in India, Cameroon, and Guatemala

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Development Economics
• Disability Studies

Background:

• The link between disability and poverty is well-established in low- and middle-income countries.
• Previous research often lacked internationally comparable disability measures and clinical screening.
• There is a need for robust data to understand poverty among people with disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate, compare, and analyze multidimensional poverty levels for people with and without disabilities.
• To examine these disparities in Guatemala, Cameroon, and India using a standardized approach.
• To identify factors associated with poverty among individuals with disabilities in these settings.

Main Methods:

• Employed a case-control study design matching adults with disabilities to controls without disabilities.
• Utilized the Washington Group Extended Questionnaire for disability identification and assessment.
• Applied the Alkire-Foster method to compute and compare multidimensional poverty levels.

Main Results:

• People with disabilities faced significantly higher multidimensional poverty and poverty intensity across all three study locations.
• Poverty disparities were smaller in Cameroon compared to Guatemala and India, potentially indicating differing policy impacts.
• Health-related indicators were the most significant contributors to multidimensional poverty for individuals with disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Disability is strongly associated with higher multidimensional poverty, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.
• Findings suggest that in more developed settings, people with disabilities may be overlooked by poverty reduction policies.
• Incorporating individual deprivation indicators is crucial for accurately assessing poverty among people with disabilities.