The relationship between housing and subjective well-being is receiving growing attention in social research and social policy. However, the mechanisms among housing and subjective well-being, and the mediating role of housing factors between income and subjective well-being was unclear in previous studies. This study aims to investigate the relationship between income, housing, and subjective well-being, and their interacting effects among housing dimensions in Hong Kong, an example of a global city with a dense population and unaffordable housing. A random sample survey of 1480 adult participants in Hong Kong was used for the analysis

Structural equation modelling was applied in studying the path relationships among the key variables. Subjective well-being was predicted by income and housing factors, including housing expense, living density, housing environment problems, and housing satisfaction. The results showed that the impact of income on subjective well-being was partially mediated by housing factors. In group analysis by housing tenure, the housing factors exerted a larger influence on the private rental housing group. This study contributed to highlighting the role of housing factors in happiness studies and the importance of the interaction among housing factors and housing tenures in analyses. The implications of these results and their limitations are discussed.

This study aimed to examine the association between working hours and anxiety of a working population in Hong Kong. We used a cross sectional data from a population-based household survey of Hong Kong Chinese adults. Key measures included employment status, skill level, working hours, length of stay at current job and anxiety level. Symptoms of anxiety were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analysed using logistic regression. Chinese adults who had long working hours (≥ 72 h per week) had higher odds of developing symptoms of anxiety than those who worked for ≤ 36 h per week (odds ratio [OR] 5.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82‒19.41). Compared with short period (< 1 year), long period of stay at current job (≥ 5 years) was found as a protective factor from anxiety (OR 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20‒0.73).

We found that a working period of 72 h per week was a significant threshold to cause anxiety to workers. Stable job arrangement was a protective factor to workers from anxiety. Implementation of labour market regulations, such as standard working hour policy and stable job arrangement, was also significant to mitigate risk of anxiety for working people in Hong Kong.

The paper examined the mediating effect of child deprivation on the associations between family poverty (i.e., relative poverty and household deprivation), bullying victimization, and psychological distress in an Asian/Chinese society (Hong Kong), and further examined sex differences in the interrelationships of family poverty, child deprivation, bullying victimization, and psychological distress. Data were collected from a random sample of 792 children and their adults living in the same households.

The structural equation modeling analysis showed that family poverty did not predict bullying victimization and psychological distress directly but influenced both bullying victimization and psychological distress indirectly through child deprivation. No sex differences were found in the interrelationships between variables in the model. Our findings provide empirical support that child deprivation may play a crucial mediating role in the relationship between family poverty and its negative outcomes on children. This study also provides empirical evidence supporting that reducing child deprivation may effectively prevent the negative effects of family poverty on children’s behavioral and psychological health.

Background Mental illness is a major disease burden in the world and disproportionately affects the socially disadvantaged, but studies on the longitudinal association of poverty with anxiety and stress are rare, especially in Asia. Using data from Hong Kong, we aimed to (1) assess the cross-sectional association of poverty with anxiety and stress at baseline, and (2) to examine whether baseline poverty and change in poverty status over time are associated with a subsequent change in anxiety and stress.

Outcomes Deprivation, but not income-poverty, was significantly associated with both outcomes at baseline. Increased deprivation over time was associated with greater score and increased risk of anxiety and stress. Persistent deprivation over time was associated with greater anxiety and stress, and increased risk of incident anxiety.

Interpretation Deprivation could have significant independent effects on anxiety and stress, even after adjusting for the effects of income-poverty. Greater attention should be paid to deprivation in policymaking to tackle the inequalities of mental health problems, especially since stress and anxiety are precursors to more severe forms of mental illness and other comorbidities.

Multidimensional poverty in urban cities has become an increasing global concern. Income poverty, deprivation, social exclusion and subjective poverty have been commonly used as measurements for poverty. However, the path relationship among these various dimensions has been ignored. This study aims to fill this research gap by focusing on the impact on subjective poverty.

A random sample survey of 1979 adult participants in Hong Kong was used for the analysis. Structural equation modelling was applied in studying the path relationship among the monetary, material, social and subjective dimensions of poverty. Subjective poverty was predicted through a mediated model, with deprivation and social exclusion as the mediators.

The result of this structural equation modelling indicated that the impact of income on subjective poverty was partially mediated by the material and social dimensions of poverty. In an age group comparison analysis, deprivation showed a larger influence on the elderly group, whilst social exclusion had a larger mediating effect on the younger group. The implication of these results and limitations are discussed.

This study aims to enrich the comprehension of the effect of living density on anxiety and stress among adults in a global city. A random sample of 1,978 Hong Kong adults was interviewed in a cross-sectional population study in 2014–2015. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used to investigate the association between housing variables and mental health indicators, namely, anxiety and stress.

Logistic regression analysis results have shown that by controlling the confounding effect of demographic variables, income poverty, housing ownership and housing cost, the living density was significantly associated with anxiety and stress of residents.

These results highlighted the significant impact of living density on personal anxiety and stress. Moreover, female, younger adults or those living in income poverty were also at risk of anxiety and stress.

In conclusion, our findings implied that improving housing policies, such as building public housing with adequate living areas and market regulation of living density of private housing, would help enhance the mental well-being of residents.

Using two random sampling surveys from Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR, this study aims to compare the poverty stigma, perceived living standards and subjective well-being of welfare and non-welfare recipients in the two regions. The results show that means-tested welfare recipients generally experience high levels of stigma and negative affect.

Path analysis models reveal that the direct impact of such stigma on negative affect is significant in Mainland China. However, in Hong Kong SAR, the impact of stigma on negative affect is indirect, through social interaction and selfrated health.

Background: The life-course perspective on socioeconomic inequality in health is a burgeoning field of research. Nonetheless, the three classic life-course models (i.e. sensitive period, cumulative risk and social mobility models) have rarely been simultaneously applied to studies on obesity. Therefore, this study examined the associations of socioeconomic positions (SEPs) across life stages and their associated life-course models with both general and abdominal obesity.

Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted among 1077 community-dwelling adults aged 50 or above during 2014–15 in Hong Kong. Experiences of poverty, educational attainment and deprivation of necessities represented respondents’ SEP in childhood, early adulthood and late adulthood, respectively. General and abdominal obesity were defined as body mass index >=25 kgm-2 and waist-to-height ratio >0.5. Multivariable modified Poisson regression with a robust error variance was performed.

Results: Respondents with low childhood SEP tended to have reduced risk of general obesity [relative risk (RR)¼0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI)¼0.72–1.00], whereas those with low childhood SEP and low late-adulthood SEP tended to have increased risk of abdominal obesity (RR¼1.10; 95% CI¼1.00–1.21 and RR¼1.14; 95% CI¼1.03–1.26, respectively). Cumulative socioeconomic disadvantages showed a dose–response relationship with abdominal obesity. Also, those with upward socioeconomic mobility had lower risk of abdominal obesity, whereas those with downward socioeconomic mobility had greater risk.

Conclusions: Low SEP, especially in childhood, exerted contrasting effects on general and abdominal obesity among older Hong Kong Chinese adults. The three life-course models operated simultaneously in determining the risk of abdominal obesity, while support for cumulative risk and social mobility models was weak in general obesity.

Background: Poverty and ill-health are closely inter-related. Existing studies on the poverty-health vicious cycle focus mainly on less developed countries, where the identified mechanisms linking between poverty and ill-health may not fit the situations in developed Asian regions. This study aims to qualitatively explore the perceived mechanisms and drivers of the poverty-health vicious cycle among major stakeholders in the healthcare setting in Hong Kong.

Methods: Data were collected via focus group interviews with social workers (n = 8), chronically ill patients (n = 8), older adults (n = 6), primary care doctors (n = 7) and informal caregivers (n = 10). The transcribed data were then closely read to capture key themes using thematic analyses informed by social constructivism.

Results: In this highly developed Asian setting with income inequality among the greatest in the world, the povertyhealth vicious cycle operates. Material and social constraints, as a result of unequal power and opportunities, appear to play a pivotal role in creating uneven distribution of social determinants of health. The subsequent healthcare access also varies across the social ladder under the dual-track healthcare system in Hong Kong. As health deteriorates, financial hardship is often resulted in the absence of sufficient and coordinated healthcare, welfare and labour policy interventions. In addition to the mechanisms, policy drivers of the cycle were also discussed based on the respondents’ perceived understanding of the nature of poverty and its operationalization in public policies, as well as of the digressive conceptions of disease among different stakeholders.

Conclusions: The poverty-health vicious cycle has remained a great challenge in Hong Kong despite its economic prosperity. To break the cycle, potential policy directions include the adoption of proportionate universalism, social integration and the strengthening of medical-social collaboration.

Methods: A stratified random sample of 1978 Hong Kong adults were surveyed. Housing affordability was defined using the residual-income (after housing costs) approach. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2), from which the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) measures were derived. Multivariable linear regressions were performed to assess associations of housing affordability with PCS and MCS scores, adjusting for sociodemographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Mediation analyses were also conducted to assess the mediating role of deprivation on the effect of housing affordability on PCS or MCS.

Results: Dose–response relationships were observed between housing affordability and mean PCS score (β (95% CI) compared with the highest affordable fourth quartile: −2.53 (−4.05 to −1.01), −2.23 (−3.54 to −0.92), −0.64 (−1.80 to 0.51) for the first, second and third quartiles, respectively) and mean MCS score (β (95% CI): −3.87 (−5.30 to –2.45), −2.35 (−3.59 to −1.11), −1.28 (−2.40 to –0.17) for the first, second and third quartiles, respectively). Deprivation mediated 34.3% of the impact of housing unaffordability on PCS and 15.8% of that on MCS.

Conclusions: Housing affordability affects physical and mental health, partially through deprivation, suggesting that housing policies targeting deprived individuals may help reduce health inequality in addition to targeting the housing affordability problem.

Poverty is a complex problem, which is closely linked with other forms of social disadvantage and is a key component of the broader canvas of social inequalities. Effective policies to alleviate poverty, deprivation, and inequality remain a global and local concern. The Hong Kong experience can shed light on the nature, extent, and profile of poverty and social disadvantage, their social and economic causes and consequences, and the role that policy can play in addressing the underlying problems. Although Hong Kong's unique historical experience, cultural practises, and institutional and administrative arrangements have resulted in a highly distinctive policy architecture, this issues Social Policy & Administration currently confronts and the responses being explored are of wide interest to social policy scholars, practitioners, and activists

By means of hierarchical linear regression on a representative survey of Hong Kong residents in 2014, this study examines the impacts of household income and housing factors on the deprivation of residents in Hong Kong. The study indicates that income level has a crucial effect on the deprivation level of households; whereas housing cost per capita, living area per capita, and living quarter problems significantly influence deprivation.

Multivariable logistic regression showed that people who were income-poor and deprived were less likely to have regular source of primary care (income-poor: OR = 0.523, p = .027; deprived: OR = 0.488, p =.007) and visit private primary care doctors (income-poor: OR = 0.445, deprived: OR = 0.222, both p <.0001). Those who had chronic diseases were more likely to have regular source of primary care (multimorbid: OR = 10.709, p < .0001), but less likely to access care in the private sector (one chronic disease: OR = 0.690, p = .019; multimorbid: OR = 0.374, p < .0001) than those without. Further, being older and less skilled were significantly associated with less likelihood of visiting a private doctor.

The failures in communicating with social groups and receiving social support lead to negative consequences on individual well-being and higher level of social exclusion. Based on the debate upon alternative approaches to conceptualizing and operationalizing poverty, this study attempts to verify a mediation model with data from a household survey (N = 1,202) in Hong Kong. The results of structural equation modelling reveal that deprivation is a more powerful indicator than income poverty for specifying the negative relations of poverty with interpersonal communication, social support, and social acceptance; the negative impact of deprivation on social acceptance can be reduced by two significant mediators of interpersonal communication and social support.

Cross-sectional data from a sample of 2,233 participants aged 18 or above was collected from the first wave of the “Trends and Implications of Poverty and Social Disadvantages in Hong Kong” survey. Socio-demographic factors, lifestyle factors, and physical and mental health conditions associated with people who were unable to seek medical services due to lack of financial means in the past year were examined using forward stepwise logistic regression analyses. Of the 2,233 participants surveyed, 8.4% did not seek medical care due to lack of financial means during the past year. They were more likely to be income-poor. With respect to physical and mental health, despite having less likelihood to have multimorbidity, they tended to have higher levels of both anxiety and stress, poorer physical and mental health-related quality of life, and suffer from more severe disability and pain symptoms affecting their daily activities, when compared to the rest of the Hong Kong population.

We hypothesize that the health impact of housing and community problems may vary across income groups and across health dimensions. We tested these hypotheses using cross-sectional survey data from Hong Kong. Several health outcomes, e.g., chronic diseases and the SF-12 v. 2 mental component summary scores, were correlated with a few types of housing and community problems, while other outcomes, such as the DASS-21–Stress scores, were sensitive to a broader range of problems. The middle- and low-income group was more severely affected by poor built environments. These results can be used to identify significant problems in the local built environment, especially amongst the middle- and low-income group.

Results Deprivation was independently associated with abdominal obesity (odds ratios (OR) = 1.68; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.27–2.22); however, no significant association was found with general obesity (OR=1.03; CI: 0.77–1.38). After additional adjustment for BMI, deprivation remained strongly associated with abdominal obesity (OR=2.00; CI: 1.41–2.83); and after further adjustment for WC, deprivation had a marginal inverse association with general obesity (OR=0.72; CI: 0.51–1.01). Conclusions Deprivation is an important risk factor of abdominal obesity and plays a critical role in capturing the preferential abdominal fat deposition beyond income poverty.

This research aims to evaluate whether the LIFA Scheme can achieve its planned policy outcomes, and to understand the impacts of LIFA Scheme on the quality of life of the low-income working families. It was funded by the Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme of the Central Policy Unit of the HKSAR government. It employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect multiple sources of data from different perspectives to scrutinize the impacts of LIFA Scheme on the low-income working families.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service conduct ed the Research Study on the Deprivation and Social Exclusion in Hong Kong in 2011. The output of this research has resulted in the develop m ent of a Deprivation Index and a Social Exclusion Index that are relevant to the contemporary Hong Kong context. The research described in this report, aims to examine poverty, deprivation and social exclusion in Hong Kong through a fresh perspective and provides policy recommendations to tackle the problems that are built on the new insights provide d by the research

Studies on the urban life revolving SSP have been spasmodic. It is only until the mid-2000s that academics and the public began to put more attention to the district. At the moment, there is a modicum of studies already conducted, and the public seems to have developed stereotypes of the district, which is widely seen as a dilapidated and hopeless geographical area. Building on the existing studies, this project is intended to take a fresh look and systematically analyse the socio-economic problems in SSP and the ways in which such problems can be possibly tackled. The 'SSP problems' are complex and multi-dimensional. Social issues and economics are mingled with politics and physical environments. For this reason, the project will adopt an integrated approach, drawing on different disciplines such as architecture, urban planning, sociology, social work and public administration in order to examine the 'SSP problems'.

深水埗區是新來港人士、貧窮勞工、婦女及少數族裔較集中的區域，他們當中部分都在綜援與邊緣勞動市場之間進進出出，尋找生計。雖然一方面他們受著不少結構性因素而導致其邊緣處境，但另一方面，當中亦有部分社群會參與社區內的組織及機構的「社區經濟發展計劃」或其他計劃，以重建他們的社會資本。 本研究是跟進以上研究, 以了解區內有關扶貧計劃對居民生活、社會資本建設以及減低社會排斥的作用, 亦探討宏觀社會政策及經濟環境對深水埗區貧窮人士的影響。

Based on three surveys carried out for studying living conditions of youth, women and elderly living in six remote areas (Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Sheung Shui, Fan Ling and Tai Po) in the New Territories of Hong Kong, this paper reports the poverty and social exclusion of these three groups of people. The quality of life of youth, women and elderly is adversely affected by limited job opportunities, high cost of travel for employment, and poor neighbourhoods in the community. However, perceptions of reasons for their problems are different for the three groups, due to differences in bonding and bridging social capital they have, as well as the differences in perceptions on social exclusion and discrimination directed upon them.

At present, "shortage of resources" is the popular understanding from the public towards the problem of poverty. Such simplification of the issue is regrettable. Such thinking easily equates "poverty" with "inadequacy to meet the poor's daily needs", shifting the focus to questions like "Is there really inadequacy?", "Who suffered from the inadequacy?" and "How are they suffering from inadequacy?".

The discussion on "Who need the aid most?" further triggers conflicts within the society. These thoughts cannot effectively describe the causes of poverty, and does not accurately reflect the situation of poverty. On the other hand, discrimination and exclusion from the social structure is an important issue which is often overlooked. Proper focus on this issue will enable both the public and related government departments to gain an in depth understanding to the situation of people in poverty, promote a rational discussion on the problem of poverty in society, remedy the inadequacy of current social policies, strengthen the common ground on solving poverty in society and to alleviate poverty more effectively by stating clearly the causes of poverty. This is the purpose of the joint effort of the office of Ronny Tong Ka Wah, Legislative Council Member and Prof. Wong Hung at the Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong in carrying out a research focusing on the problem of poverty and social discrimination.

這是這系列研究第二部報告分析邊遠地區婦女的貧窮、歧視及排斥的情況。有關調查在2006年7月至9 月進行，以定額抽樣的方法在新界的屯門、天水圍 、粉嶺、上水、大埔及元朗六區訪問了706名居住在該區年齡由21歲至65歲的婦女。

立法會湯家驊議員辦事處聯同香港中文大學社會工作學系的黃洪博士及樹仁學院社會工作學系的李昺偉博士推行一個對貧窮問題與社會歧視的研究計劃，讓社會及政府有關部門能夠對貧窮人士的處境有進一步的認識，並促進社會對貧窮問題進行更理性的討論。及早糾正目前社會政策的不足, 以加強社會對解決貧窮問題的共識和更有效地針對貧窮的成因來達到真正扶貧的效果。 本報告包括研究首部份有關邊遠地區青年的貧窮、歧視及排斥的情況。有關調查在2005年7月至9 月進行，以定額抽樣的方法在新界的屯門、天水圍 、粉嶺、上水、大埔及元朗六區的公共屋邨、火車站等公眾地方訪問了893名居住在該區年齡由12歲至25歲的青少年。

Amidst a period of economic growth and development in Hong Kong, poverty not only remains, but is on the increase. Amidst the prosperity, the gap between rich and poor people is widening. Amidst talk in our nation of building a harmonious society, and talk in Hong Kong of compassion and of civic values, the facts show that trends are heading in the opposite direction: more and more people are facing marginalisation and discrimination, especially women, minorities, and elderly people.

Poverty in the workforce – also referred to as 'employment poverty' – is an issue that Oxfam Hong Kong has been addressing for several years through research, advocacy, public education, and support for community projects. We see that in the swelling ranks of the poor and the near-poor are people who do an honest day's work, but who do not receive the compensation that can provide a decent standard of living. This report examines the alarming facts on poverty among workers over the past decade and argues that the current situation is unacceptable. Solutions are urgently needed. This report also makes proposals for a path to improvement.

當深水埗區議會邀請我們為深水埗區的貧窮問題現象及扶貧工作進行研究 時，我們毫不猶疑地答應邀請。不單是由於我們覺得深水埗區的貧窮問題現象及 扶貧工作值得我們及社會關注；更重要的是我們希望可以透過這研究，讓我們重 新檢視「貧窮」這一概念和重整我們及社會對貧窮現象的看法。

「貧窮」是不受歡迎的現象，和「問題」一直是並存的雙生兄弟。沒有人 希望自己是一個貧窮的人；沒有社區希望自己是一個貧窮的社區，亦沒有一個國 家希望自己是一個貧窮的國家。想起貧窮，我們便會聯想起失業、罪惡、家庭糾 紛等一籃子的問題。扶貧工作很多時希望以不同的服務和社會政策解決貧窮和相 關的社會問題，同時亦希望社能滿足貧窮人士和社區的不同需要。這以「問題」 及「需要」為本的分析角度，是傳統扶貧工作的分析角度。

是次研究，我們希望以「資產為本」的角度去分析深水埗---一個香港最貧 窮的社區。運用資產為本的分析視野，是基於我們以往貧窮人士接觸的經驗，和 一些信念。

香港的露宿者問題存在已久，直至九十年代未亞洲金融風暴後，社會狀況急劇改變，其中尤以經濟低迷對市民的沖擊至大，失 業率越趨嚴重。在二零零零年，一項由樂施會贊助，基督教關懷無家者協會和聖雅各福群會、以及香港城市大學社會科學部黃洪博士 合作之「關懷露宿者2000計劃」展開，其中調查發現露宿者正趨向年輕化；深宵化；多樣化和短期化的現象，而且露宿者人數增加的情況亦引起社會人士關注。

社會福利署於二零零一年初對有關情況作出積極回應，迅速與不同露宿者服務的機構商議，增撥資源建立三隊露宿者深宵探訪隊，進行為期三年的試驗服務計劃。 計劃分成三個主要部份，包括：

(一) 建立露宿者深宵探訪隊配套支援服務的模式；
(二) 發展一套露宿者資料及服務提供的中央資料庫系統；
(三) 就服務成效、資料庫應用、服務指標等進行評估。

香港的貧窮及貧富懸殊問題日益嚴重。2001 年人口統計普查顯示，香港堅 尼系數由1981 年0.451 持續上升至2001 年有紀錄以來最高的的0.525，表明香 港的收入分佈愈來愈走向不平均。但由於香港政府並沒有製訂正式的貧窮線，所 以一直未能監察貧窮人口的數量及貧窮程度的變化，缺乏詳細的數據去製訂有效 的政策去解決貧窮問題。

為了製訂香港的貧窮線，香港城市大學社會科學部講師黃洪博士及李劍明先 生接受了香港研究資助局的「角逐撥款資助」1進行了「香港貧窮線研究」。該研 究在1999 年9 月至2001 年1 月間，成功進行抽樣調查，訪問了3090 個低收入 之住戶，了解這些家庭的開支模式及生活狀況。