Income poverty status and well-being of the vulnerable households in Malaysia: a comparative study

• Main Authors: Ahmad, Nor Fairani, Paim, Laily
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: Persatuan Ekonomi Pengguna dan Keluarga Malaysia (MACFEA) 2012
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/76754/1/MACFEA16-6.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/76754/

The paper aims to examine the status of income poverty and compare it with the well-being level between different groups among vulnerable households. Vulnerable households for this study were households that consists at least one of the following criteria: income poor, elderly person, single mothers and/or disabled person. Data was taken from the Official Poverty Line Survey conducted in four Malaysian cities representing each region in Peninsular Malaysia. Using convenient sampling method, a total 281 households were selected. Descriptive statistics such as mean, ANOVA, correlation tests were applied in data analysis. Findings indicate significant differences in household per capita income among income poverty status groups. Also, show differences in well-being among different status of income poverty, in which the differences were between hardcore and non-poor, poor and non-poor, and potential and non-poor, whereby the non-poor had the highest mean. Results also indicate that mean well-being for poor and potential poor groups were much lower than the hardcore poor group. Finally, results reveal a positive but small relationship between household per capita income and well-being among vulnerable households. Findings from this study provide evidences and enhance understanding in income poverty, well-being and correlates of both especially among vulnerable households.