The relationship between poverty and brain development has been a topic of continued interest and investigation among researchers worldwide. A recent study featured in the Nature journal illuminates the influence of anti-poverty welfare schemes on cerebral development, particularly in children from low-income families. This comprehensive study uses brain scans from over 10,000 children, aged between 9-11, across 17 U.S. states. It explores not only the relationship between poverty and brain development but also the capacity of anti-poverty policies to lessen its impacts.
Poverty and Brain Development
Prior studies consistently illustrate that childhood development in low-income households often results in detrimental effects on brain growth and cognitive functions. In three distinct studies conducted in 2015, scientists discovered that young adults and children coming from disadvantaged financial backgrounds had smaller cortical volume, the brain’s outer layer, and underperformed in academic prowess tests. Notably, children growing up in poverty had a greater risk of having a relatively smaller hippocampus, a critical structure for learning and memory.
The Role of Anti-Poverty Policies
Anti-poverty policies have been found to significantly minimize the risk of smaller hippocampi in children from impoverished families, with researchers noting a positive correlation between socioeconomic status and hippocampus size. Scientists discovered a significant three-way interaction between family income, cost of living, and cash assistance programs that influenced hippocampal volume. They noted that children in poor households residing in high living cost states but receiving generous cash benefits displayed an average hippocampal volume 34% larger than their counterparts in higher living cost states receiving less financial assistance.
Welfare Schemes and Biological Impact Mitigation
Access to more considerable financial resources through welfare schemes has the potential to protect low-income families from the chronic stress associated with poverty, a factor likely to influence hippocampal development. Anti-poverty policies help lower stress levels, enabling families to make decisions that reduce stress, such as reducing working hours.
Future Implications and Limitations
The study’s researchers plan to investigate how policy alterations since their data gathering period have affected the participants’ mental health and brain development trajectories. Long-term monitoring of these policy impacts offers valuable insights into anti-poverty measures’ effectiveness. The study emphasizes the need for investing in social safety net programs to tackle neurodevelopment disparities due to socioeconomic factors. Such initiatives could reduce the costs related to mental health, education, and economic challenges resulting from socioeconomic inequalities.
Major Poverty Alleviation Programs in India
India deploys various programs in its bid to combat poverty. These include the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, National Old Age Pension Scheme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), National Urban Livelihood Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
UPSC Civil Services Examination: Previous Year Questions
For better understanding and preparation, it is always beneficial to take a look at previous years’ questions in the UPSC Civil Services Examination relating to poverty. For example, why official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others in a particular year in India, or analysing the United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index Report regarding the incidence and intensity of poverty being more important in determining poverty based on income alone.
