Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

What does poverty look like from a child’s perspective? In this 2014/15 study 168 12-year-olds wore a camera for four days that automatically recorded the world around them every 7 seconds. We compared the images of the children in high and low deprivation to better understand what it means for children to live in poverty. Children in poverty appear to have fewer types of fruit and vegetables, educational materials and physical activity equipment. They live in homes with more structural problems and mould, less fixed heating and computers. Since data was collected, there have been improvements to housing and a cost-of-living payment to low-income earners was announced this week. Yet, the complex problem of child poverty remains in Aotearoa damaging the health and wellbeing of our children.