Policy Briefs
Cash Transfers During the Transition to Adulthood in Jordan: Associations with Household Food Insecurity and the Subjective Wellbeing of Youth
No.
PB 84
Publisher
ERF
Date
July, 2022
In a nutshell
- 20% of Jordanian-headed households with youth aged 16-30 receive a government social assistance cash transfer
- 90% of Syrian-headed households with youth aged 16-30 receive at least one cash transfer from a United Nations agency. Just under 30% of households receive two or three transfers.
- There is high vulnerability to food insecurity among households with youth. Among Jordanian households, 27% were moderately food insecure and 18% were severely food insecure. Among Syrian households, 40% were moderately food insecure and 34% were severely food insecure.
- Food insecurity is highest in urban areas among both Jordanian and Syrian households.
- The prevalence of food insecurity among Syrians, despite the prevalence of receiving cash transfers, suggests that the amounts of those transfers may be insufficient to meet households’ basic needs.
- Poor subjective wellbeing was also common among youth. 39% of Jordanian and 52% of Syrian youth suffered from poor subjective wellbeing.
- Food insecurity was a significant predictor of worse subjective wellbeing among both Jordanian and Syrian youth.
- Among Jordanian youth, household receipt of social assistance was not predictive of subjective wellbeing.
- Among Syrian youth, only those in households that received three types of cash transfers experienced better subjective wellbeing. This may be related to the total amount of assistance received.
- The substantial burden of both food insecurity and poor subjective wellbeing among youth in Jordan calls for further interventions to support youth health during the transition to adulthood.
Authors
Maia Sieverding
Assistant Professor of Public Health Practice at...
Authors
Zeina Jamaluddine
Center for Research on Population and Health,...