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Material Security Scale as a Measurement of Poverty among Key Populations At-Risk for HIV/AIDS in Malaysia: An Implication for People Who Use Drugs and Transgender People during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  • Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh

    (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
    Centre of Excellence of Research in AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Ahsan Ahmad

    (Centre of Excellence of Research in AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
    Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Heven, CT 06510, USA)

  • Balasingam Vicknasingam

    (Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia)

  • Adeeba Kamarulzaman

    (Centre of Excellence of Research in AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
    Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • 'Abqariyah Yahya

    (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

Abstract

The HIV epidemic is fueled by poverty; yet, methods to measure poverty remain scarce among populations at risk for HIV infection and disease progression to AIDS in Malaysia. Between August and November 2020, using data from a cross-sectional study of people who use drugs, (PWUD), transgender people, sex workers and men who have sex with men, this study examined the reliability and validity of a material security scale as a measurement of poverty. Additionally, we assessed factors associated with material security scores. We performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for 268 study participants included in the analysis. A revised nine-item three-factor structure of the material security scale demonstrated an excellent fit in CFA. The revised material security score displayed good reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.843, 0.826 and 0.818 for housing, economic resources and basic needs factors, respectively. In a subsequent analysis, PWUD and transgender people were less likely to present good material security scores during the pandemic, compared to their counterparts. The revised nine-item scale is a useful tool to assess poverty among key populations at-risk for HIV/AIDS with the potential to be extrapolated in similar income settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh & Ahsan Ahmad & Balasingam Vicknasingam & Adeeba Kamarulzaman & 'Abqariyah Yahya, 2022. "Material Security Scale as a Measurement of Poverty among Key Populations At-Risk for HIV/AIDS in Malaysia: An Implication for People Who Use Drugs and Transgender People during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:8997-:d:870346
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Douglas J. Besharov & Kenneth Couch, 2009. "European measures of income, poverty, and social exclusion: Recent developments and lessons for U.S. poverty measurement," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 713-715.
    2. Jenna van Draanen & Kanna Hayashi & M.-J. Milloy & Ekaterina Nosova & Hennady Shulha & Cameron Grant & Lindsey Richardson, 2021. "Material Security as a Measure of Poverty: A Validation Study with People Who Use Drugs," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 501-521, September.
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