A comparative study of household vulnerability: A scoping review of the areas and measurement methods

The complex and multidimensional nature of the concept of vulnerability has received attention in the last two decades, however, definitions and standard methods for measuring it are still not used in domestic and foreign studies.  

Using a scoping review and the five-step methodological feamework of Arksey and O’Malley (2005), this study examines and criticizes the conceptual, theoretical and methodological field of “household vulnerability” in domestic and foreign studies during the 2010 to 2022.

Among the 105 reviewed studies (28 domestic studies and 77 foreign studies), four main areas of environmental, economic, health and social vulnerability of household can be classified respectively, in which the most important weakness identified in these studies was the lack of an interactive and intersectional approach to different dimensions of household vulnerability. Additionally, the comparative review showed that most domestic studies have weaknesses in covering diverse topics, identifying target households, choosing a broad theoretical framework, and using multi-dimensional measures, which has caused the mentioned studies to fail when explaining the way of vulnerability at the household level, lean towards individualistic explanations.

The findings emphasize the necessity of moving from a superficial view to the concept of the household and designing longitudinal surveys that can help increase the resilience of vulnerable households and the success of related welfare policies across the country.