雖然對於貧窮的解釋，產生了許多的爭論，但是由於資料的限制，一般研究以橫斷面的資料為主，且各年的貧窮率變化不大，而誤認為貧窮是時間持續很長的現象。自有長期追蹤研究以後，對於持續貧窮的看法才有所改變。本研究的目的在於探討貧窮動態，以嘉義縣的低收入戶為例，追蹤嘉義縣貧窮家戶(1988-1996)的貧窮持續時間。 　 研究發現中位貧窮持續時間為4.55年，脫離貧窮的機率大致是隨貧窮時間延長而下降。此一下降趨勢，並非貧窮本身使人不易脫離貧窮，而是具有容易脫離貧窮特質的家戶先行脫離，留下具有不易脫離貧窮特質的家戶。而影響貧窮持續時間的重要因素有年齡、教育年數、是否為單親家庭、與戶內有工作能力人數。年齡愈大者可能因死亡而較早脫離貧窮，以致貧窮持續時間愈短。教育年數愈高者愈有能力在較短的時間內找到足以脫離貧窮的資源。與國外的研究不同的發現是，單親家庭的貧窮持續時間較短。戶內有工作能力人數愈多，則其貧窮持續時間愈短。

Due to the limitations of data, most poverty researches in the past used cross­sectional data. This was despite the disputes on the nature and dynamics of poverty Furthermore, the fact that poverty rates remained rather stable over time led many researchers to conclude that poverty was a long term phenomenon. This misconception began to change once the longitudinal panel data became available. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the poverty dynamics using panel data from poverty households in Chia- Yi county during the 1988-1996 period The results of our analyses indicate that the median number of years for our sample to remain in poverty was 4.55 years and the probability of leaving poverty decreased as the length of time staying in poverty increased. This was not due to the difficulty of leaving poverty per se. Rather. It was due to the fact that those who were more able to leave poverty actually left earlier and those who could not leave remained in poverty. Among the factors that effect the length of staying in poverty were age (of the heads of households), number of years of schooling, whether single-heads households, and the number of household members with the ability to work. Those heads of households who were older who left poverty earlier than their younger counterparts could be due to the earlier death of the former than the latter. Those with better education were also those who were more likely to obtain necessary resources to leave poverty. Two major differences between this study and those from foreign nations were found. First, in Taiwan, single-headed households tend to be able to leave poverty sooner than their foreign counterparts.