Chelsea Knight
PVS 101, Gandolfo
May 4, 2010
Children Living in Poverty:
Physical and Mental Health Effects
Poverty puts children in a situation that makes them extremely vulnerable to
various health disadvantages. The environment in which they live, the quality of care
received, and a lack of important resources are all aspects of a child’s life in poverty that
ultimately can be detrimental to their health. A definition provided by UNICEF of
childhood poverty reads,
Children living in poverty are those who experience deprivation of the material,
spiritual, and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving
them unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full
and equal members of society (Donahue, 2009).
This definition provides a broad perspective of how poverty threatens children’s quality
of life and puts them at a great disadvantage as they move through crucial periods of
development. Living a life in poverty significantly hinders a child’s ability to reach their
full potential, and is something that is likely to negatively affect a child for the rest of
their life. Often the biggest obstacle that these children face is the many physical and
mental health defects to which they are susceptible.
Poverty and health are inextricably linked. The more a child suffers from poverty,
the more prone the child is to illness, disease and malnutrition. As children and
their families become more susceptible to health problems, their ability to earn an
income to survive is diminished. It is a vicious and unmerciful cycle (“Health”,
2007).
The negative health effects of poverty-related situations can be objectively examined as
evidence of how poverty notably increases the likelihood of resulting mental and physical
health effects to children. Physical health effects can include, and are not limited to,
asthma, malnutrition, inhibited growth, birth defects, lack of proper medical attention,
susceptibility to disease, illness, and injury, as well as greater incidence of abuse and
neglect. Additionally, mental effects may include those on brain development, mental
disabilities, emotional relationships, social skills, self-esteem, and self-efficacy issues.
Many national and locally based non-profit and government-related organizations exist to
help support these crucial health needs of children living in poverty. The value of their
support in meeting these needs is unsurpassed. Therefore, a high priority needs to remain
on the continual development of these organizations in their mission to equally serve the
nation’s children and its future.
The prevalence of physical health issues in children, influenced by poverty, is
distressing. One of the highest correlations of negative health effects and poverty is the
prevalence of childhood asthma. Asthma is in incurable disease that inflames and
narrows the airways, which typically develops during childhood. It is often provoked by
unsanitary physical environments, which may include air contaminants in substandard
housing like mold, cockroach droppings, and dust mites. Children living in poverty are
much more likely to live in these conditions of substandard housing and develop asthma
symptoms than other children not living in poverty. Relevant statistics of asthma
prevalence in poor versus non-poor children include: For children under seventeen years
of age, 4.8% poor children versus 4.2% non-poor children have asthma. For children
under 6 years of age, 4.2% poor children versus 3.1% non-poor children have asthma.
Finally, poor children experience 40% fewer doctor visits and require 40% more asthmarelated hospitalizations (Halfon & Newacheck, 1993). This is often because
impoverished children and their families have less access to medication and preventative
health care. In response to this issue, many education programs exist that promote
nontoxic cleaning of the home or other buildings in which children are exposed to, and
teach information and procedures of self-administered inhaled medications.
Malnutrition is another serious health effect to children living in poverty and is
defined as the insufficient, excessive, or imbalanced consumption of nutrients
(“Malnutrition”, 2010). Many children suffering from malnutrition experience chronic
hunger, which can cause underdevelopment of the body. This is characterized by being
underweight, poor physical stamina,, a weak immune system, amernhorrea, osteoporosis
and lower life expectancy. Malnourishment during the first critical years of life is
especially harmful to physical and mental health and growth. These first years are a
period of substantial language and motor acquisition skills, as well as brain and body
development, which is largely impacted by nutrition to the body. Furthermore,
malnutrition increases the susceptibility to disease and dehydration. Prevention programs
make a very important and valuable impact on addressing nutrition deficits through early
intervention. Early intervention programs are so important because the benefits to
children are significantly diminished if nutrition programs wait until children have
already become malnourished.
Birth defects occur at notably higher rates to children born into poverty. These
can include fetal alcohol syndrome, addictions to drugs such as cocaine, heroin,
methadone upon birth, health effects due to lack of proper prenatal care, unhealthy food,
smoking, and alcohol consumption, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS). This often results in babies born prematurely and
underweight, suffering from the following symptoms: underdeveloped organs, breathing
problems, respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding in the brain, vision loss, and intestinal
problems. These symptoms can also affect the development of language comprehension
skills and visual recognition acuity. In addition, children born into poverty are less likely
to receive proper medical attention. They are more prone to injury and illness, and lack
needed health care coverage. Furthermore, “Researchers generally agree that poor
children exhibit higher morbidity rates as a result of two factors. These include (a) lower
odds of early intervention, and (b) increased risk of accidents and illness” (Aber, J.L.,
Bennett, N.G., Conley, D.C., & Li, J. (1997). Many impoverished families have a
problematic lack of education and knowledge of how to meet important nutritional and
physical health care needs.
A final component listed among the disadvantages to the physical health of
children living in poverty includes the higher incidence of abuse and neglect in the home.
However, an important and sometimes controversial issue needs to be considered in
relation to this topic:
“Poverty and child neglect are related, but poverty does not cause neglect.
Although poverty does not cause neglect, poverty permeates neglecting families.
What is the difference between poverty and neglect? Poverty is when the
caregiver does not have the resources to provide the need. Neglect is when the
caregiver has the resources, but chooses not to provide the need. Therefore,
neglect is a choice” (Barriere, 2005).
Controversy over neglectful situations of children living in poverty is often a direct result
of the lack of adequate resources available from poverty. Situations in which neglect of
children in poverty situations could be called into question with legitimacy exist when
there is a parental awareness of assistance programs such as food and health services, and
they are not utilized by this “choice”. Furthermore, patterns of substance abuse of those
living in the child’s impoverished environment cause an increase of abuse and neglect.
The stressors and environment of poverty life increase rates of substance abuse, which
negatively preoccupy the mind and often result in the abuse and neglect of children living
in these impoverished situations.
To focus on more aspects of mental health, effects on brain development to
children living in poverty are distressing. 21% of low-income children and youth ages
six through seventeen have mental health problems, and 57% of these low-income
children and youth come from households with incomes at or below the federal poverty
level (Masi, R. & Cooper, J.L., 2006). These children typically have lower rates of IQ
and cognitive development. Children born into poverty encounter more obstacles to his
or her intellectual development, especially in the first few years of life, as previously
noted. For example,
Recent studies of behavioral, emotional, and developmental attributes of homeless
children attest to the importance of cumulative risk. Particularly damaging
consequences are found in the preschool age group. Shelter children between the
ages of three and five are significantly more delayed in receptive vocabulary and
visual-motor development, and have significantly higher rates of behavioral and
emotional symptoms, when compared to children of similar age and background
living in homes, and significantly fewer are enrolled in early childhood programs
(Hertzig, M.E., 1992)
This is also true even before birth due to inadequate prenatal care. Children living in
poverty experience less intellectually stimulating facilities like toys, books, adequate
daycare, and preschool education in their environments. In addition, poor parenting
behavior and parent-child interaction negatively affect the mental health and development
of impoverished children. In turn, they often to not have the opportunity to reach their
full potential of mental development. These children also develop a much higher rate of
mental disabilities than those not living in poverty. These can include mental retardation,
emotional and behavior disorders (EBD), learning disorders, attachment disorders, and
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These mental disabilities significantly
impact the ability of children to learn and succeed, which contributes to the unrelenting
cycle of poverty.
Other aspects of mental health that are drastically impacted by poverty are the
development of emotional relationships, social skills, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.
Children living in poverty experience much less predictability and security in their
environments, which often leads to emotional problems. They may develop reactive
attachment disorders, separation anxiety, depression, conduct and defiance disorders.
These children also experience a lack of secure relationships with consistent, sensitive,
and responsive adults. They receive less encouragement and successful emotional
experiences causing hopelessness, depression, antisocial behavior, sexual promiscuity,
substance abuse, and gang involvement. Children living in poverty have a much greater
chance of being involved in juvenile, and later, criminal justice systems. These children
are exposed less to positive modeling by the people in their environments, and suffer a
lack of beneficial and healthy social skills needed for relationship-building and career
success.
While many aspects of poverty life cannot be controlled for children, numerous
programs and services exist nationally to help eliminate deficiencies and give equal
opportunities in support of healthy child development. The following organizations are
examples of major leaders in providing health services to children, among numerous
other agencies across the nation: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) under the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a program called Women Infants and
Children (WIC). It is a special supplemental nutrition program for low-income women,
infants, and children up to age 5. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is
a leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and
well being of America’s low-income families and children (“About NCCP,” 2009). Save
the Children USA provides early childhood development, literacy, physical activity, and
nutrition programming as well as emergency relief (“Child poverty in America,” 2010).
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) advocates for child health, ending child poverty,
early childhood care, youth development, leadership training, and more.
Locally, in Upstate South Carolina, many non-profit and government-supported
organizations exist to support the healthy development of children living in poverty.
United Way is a worldwide organization that has a location in Greenville, SC as well. Its
mission is “to unite our community to improve people’s lives and build vital, caring
community” (United Way of Greenville Country, 2010). The organization at this
location supports many non-profit organizations in the area including YouthBASE, A
Child’s Haven, and The Parenting Place. YouthBASE in Greenville, SC is an afterschool program that provides positive behavior interventions to children living in poverty
that have emotional and behavior disorders (EBD), attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), conduct and oppositional defiance disorders. These behavior
problems along with their impoverished environments significantly inhibit the children
from learning at school and receiving adequate and supportive emotional and physical
care at home. A Child’s Haven in Greenville, SC is “a place of uplift and transformation
for young children whose development has been delayed by poverty, neglect and abuse”
(A Child’s Haven, 2008). The Parenting Place in Easley, SC serves to prevent child
abuse through advocacy, community awareness, and parenting support and classes. They
strive to create healthier and happier living situations for children and their families.
Many aspects of poverty life are overlooked and unexposed, yet the health of
children growing up in poverty is too valuable to be overlooked because they are an
integral part of our future. The mental and physical health effects children experience
from poverty greatly impact their potential of future success and the cycle of poverty.
Giving higher priority to these issues could be one of the only ways to help end the
vicious cycle of poverty. Fortunately, “In recent years increased attention has been
directed toward the study of factors that facilitate ‘escape from risk’” (Hertzig, M.E.,
1992). This refers to breaking the cycle of poverty by helping those who are deemed “atrisk” because of the many factors that compound to put people at a higher risk of poverty
and criminal activity. Supporting children’s health needs in poverty is perhaps the most
basic and important means of giving them a successful future as valuable contributors to
their society.
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