Let's Stop Trying to Quantify Household Vulnerability: The Problem With Simple Scales for Targeting and Evaluating Economic Strengthening Programs

Global Health, Science and Practice
Whitney Moret

Abstract

Economic strengthening practitioners are increasingly seeking data collection tools that will help them target households vulnerable to HIV and poor child well-being outcomes, match households to appropriate interventions, monitor their status, and determine readiness for graduation from project support. This article discusses efforts in 3 countries to develop simple, valid tools to quantify and classify economic vulnerability status. In Côte d'Ivoire, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with 3,749 households to develop a scale based on the definition of HIV-related economic vulnerability from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for the purpose of targeting vulnerable households for PEPFAR-funded programs for orphans and vulnerable children. The vulnerability measures examined did not cluster in ways that would allow for the creation of a small number of composite measures, and thus we were unable to develop a scale. In Uganda, we assessed the validity of a vulnerability index developed to classify households according to donor classifications of economic status by measuring its association with a validated poverty measure, finding only a modest correlation. In South Africa, we developed monitoring an...Continue Reading

References

Jun 10, 2011·Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes : JAIDS·Lora SabinCandace Miller
Dec 3, 2014·Evaluation and Program Planning·Sam DesiereMarijke D'Haese
Dec 25, 2015·Health Policy and Planning·Carol R Underwood, Hilary M Schwandt
Mar 5, 2016·South African Medical Journal = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif Vir Geneeskunde·R Dellar, Q Abdool Karim
Jun 27, 2011·International Journal of Medical Education·Mohsen Tavakol, Reg Dennick

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Citations

Jan 9, 2021·Archives of public health = Archives belges de santé publique·Neema MurembeEleanor Turyakira

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCA
FCS

Software Mentioned

Household Vulnerability Prioritization Tool ( HVPT )
FARE Household Vulnerability Assessment Tool ( FARE HVAT )
Girl Tool
MEASURE Evaluation
OVC
ChildFund
Simple
FSVI
Household Tool
AVSI

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