Economic Research and Perspectives

Economic Research and Perspectives

The Study of Multidimensional Poverty of Iranian Children Based on Sustainable Development Goals

Authors
Mohammad Shiri 1
Parya Torabi Kahlan 2
Lida Kalhori 3
Roshanak Aliakbari Saba 3
tahere Amini 4
1 Assistant Professor in Demography, Faculty Member, Data Processing and Information Research Group, Statistical Research and Training Center
2 Ph.D. of Statistics, Statistical Research and Training Center
3 Assistant Professor in Statistics, Faculty Member, Technical Designs and Statistical Methods Research Group, Statistical Research and Training Center
4 Ph.D. student in Statistics, Statistical Research and Training Center
Abstract
Aim and Introduction

The poverty is not affected only by income level. Some variables such as lack of access to welfare and health facilities, deprivation of education, physical weakness and vulnerability to diseases can be influential factors in poverty. Accordingly, indexes such as the poverty line, the percentage of poor people, and the intensity of poverty, which are used to study of the poverty in the society, do not fully represent the situation of poverty dimensions. Therefore, for measuring poverty in different dimensions, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme introduced the Multidimensional Poverty Index in 2010. This index includes deprivations such as low levels of health, lack of education, inadequate living standards, disability, low quality work, threats of violence, and living in areas with hazardous environments that poor people face in their daily lives. Several researches have been conducted on multidimensional poverty at the national and international levels, which have estimated the multidimensional poverty index using the Alkire-Foster methodological framework. At the same time, the multidimensional poverty of children has been neglected at the national level. This paper aims to study of multidimensional poverty among Iranian children based on the Alkire-Foster methodological framework. The multidimensional poverty of under five children using Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey data in four dimensions of "living standards", "health", "support" and "development" has been measured.

Methodology

The Alkire-Foster methodology has been used for measuring the multidimensional poverty index. For measuring the children multidimensional poverty index (MPI) in Iran, data of the Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey has been used. This survey covers the latest available data on various sociodemographic and health subjects of children, women and men. A comprehensive and new framework for measuring child poverty in Iran has been provided using the indicators of child mortality, cooking fuel, drinking water, sanitation discharge and housing from the global framework. The other indicators such as vaccination index and insufficient care has been extracted from other researches.

Findings

The results show that MPI of children in Iran is equal to 0.002. The incidence of multidimensional poverty is 0.5% and the intensity of child poverty is 38.6%. In general, the results show that girls compared to boys experience more multidimensional poverty and as mothers' education levels increase, children experience less multidimensional poverty. Children who live in large households (5 people or more) experience more multidimensional poverty compared to children who live in small households. Children in developed provinces experience multidimensional poverty less than other children and finally, children under five in the first economic quintile (the lowest economic level of the society) have the highest multidimensional poverty among all households in Iran.

Among children under five whose mothers have primary education, "health" dimension plays the most important role in measuring the multidimensional poverty index. In less developed provinces, the most important factor in mesearunig multidimensional poverty among children under five is "child development" dimension. Also, in households that have a low level of economic and social status (based on economic quintile variable), “child development " and "living standards” are important respectively.

Discussion and Conclusion

The purpose of presenting the Child multidimensional poverty index is to provide understandable and important statistics for clarify level and form of multidimensional poverty. The findings of this study, which was conducted for the first time in Iran, show that although value of the child multidimensional poverty index based on "living standards”, "health", "support" and "child development" is not a large number, however children in social and demographic groups have had encounters with different levels of multidimensional poverty. Considering that the growth and development of the children in the appropriate context is the basis for formation of a healthy and stable family and developed society, it is necessary to make policies in order to reduce the multidimensional poverty of children.
Keywords
multidimensional poverty index
Alkire–foster method
child Multidimensional poverty

Subjects

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Economic Research and Perspectives
Volume 23, Issue 1
Spring 2023
Pages 1-28