Modifiable Factors for the Trajectory of Health-Related Quality of Life among Youth Growing Up in Poverty: A Prospective Cohort Study

Ko Ling Chan, Camilla Kin Ming Lo, Frederick K. Ho, Qiqi Chen, Mengtong Chen and Patrick Ip
Additional contact information
Ko Ling Chan: Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
Camilla Kin Ming Lo: Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
Frederick K. Ho: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK
Qiqi Chen: Department of Social Work, School of Sociology and Anthropology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Mengtong Chen: Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
Patrick Ip: Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-11

Abstract: Poverty is a decisive risk factor for poor health and well-being, and its negative consequences could be more severe and substantial among children. Understanding the factors associated with improvement in well-being is vital to design interventions. This is a prospective cohort study of 546 youth growing up in families in poverty in Hong Kong. All participants were assessed twice, in 2016 and 2019, in regard to their physical and mental health, as well as for different economic, social, and psychological variables. The results show that approximately 41% experienced an improvement in their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Findings from the logistic regression analyses suggest that the health and development of youth in poverty may be restored by promoting social support, a sense of hope, future orientation, job stability, and money management practices, such as savings, during childhood and adolescence. The findings shed light on future policy making and forms of service development that could help to end the vicious cycle of poverty and hampered health.

Keywords: poverty; child; health-related quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9221/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9221/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9221-:d:627044

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().