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Sleet DA, Francescutti LH. Homelessness and Public Health: A Focus on Strategies and Solutions. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:11660. [PMID: 34770173 PMCID: PMC8583397 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
On any given night, hundreds of thousands of people are homeless in the United States and Canada [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Sleet
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA;
- Veritas Management, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30324, USA
| | - Louis Hugo Francescutti
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
- Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB T5H 3V9, Canada
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Mabhala M, Esealuka WA, Nwufo AN, Enyinna C, Mabhala CN, Udechukwu T, Reid J, Yohannes A. Homelessness Is Socially Created: Cluster Analysis of Social Determinants of Homelessness (SODH) in North West England in 2020. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18063066. [PMID: 33809704 PMCID: PMC8002255 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Poverty creates social conditions that increase the likelihood of homelessness. These include exposure to traumatic life experiences; social disadvantages such as poor educational experiences; being raised in a broken family, care homes or foster care; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; and neglect at an early age. These conditions reduce people’s ability to negotiate through life challenges. This cross-sectional study documents the clustering and frequency of adverse social conditions among 152 homeless people from four cities in North West England between January and August 2020. Two-step cluster analysis showed that having parents with a criminal record, care history, and child neglect/abuse history was predictive of homelessness. The cluster of indicator variables among homeless people included sexual abuse (χ2 (N = 152) = 220.684, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.7), inappropriate sexual behaviour (χ2 (N = 152) = 207.737, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.7), emotional neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 181.671, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.7), physical abuse by step-parent (χ2 (N = 152) = 195.882, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.8), and physical neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 205.632, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.8). Poverty and homelessness are intertwined because of the high prevalence of poverty among the homeless. Poverty sets up a chain of interactions between social conditions that increase the likelihood of unfavourable outcomes: homelessness is at the end of the interaction chain. Interventions supporting families to rise out of poverty may also reduce entry into homelessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mzwandile Mabhala
- Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK; (W.A.E.); (A.N.N.); (C.E.); (J.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Winifred Adaobi Esealuka
- Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK; (W.A.E.); (A.N.N.); (C.E.); (J.R.)
| | - Amanda Nkolika Nwufo
- Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK; (W.A.E.); (A.N.N.); (C.E.); (J.R.)
| | - Chinwe Enyinna
- Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK; (W.A.E.); (A.N.N.); (C.E.); (J.R.)
| | - Chelsea Nonkosi Mabhala
- Faculty of Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK;
| | | | - John Reid
- Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK; (W.A.E.); (A.N.N.); (C.E.); (J.R.)
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Experiences of Homeless Families in Parenthood: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17082712. [PMID: 32326513 PMCID: PMC7215402 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this systematic review was to identify the available qualitative data and to develop a framework to address the life experiences of homeless families in parenthood. The research was performed in the PubMed and CINAHL Complete databases, for works published in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. Studies that included qualitative data, or both qualitative and quantitative data, were considered for this research. A total of 358 articles were obtained, of which 37 were assessed for eligibility, and 26 were rejected. In the end, 11 studies were selected. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was used. These studies were conducted mostly in the United States, in temporary/transitional shelters for nuclear or single-parent families (led by women) in a homeless situation. In this context, the area which arose as the more relevant one was mental health, followed by the social studies. Two types of dimensions emerged from the results: mediating dimensions (which include the categories “Insecurity”, “Lack of Privacy”, “Isolation”, “Stigma” and “Disempowerment”) that are responsible for difficulties related to education, and behavioural changes in both the parents and the children; and supporting dimensions (which include the categories “Context as a Facilitator”, “Relationship with Others” and “Parents’ and children’s Self”) that lead to motivation, as well as the acquisition of strategies by the parents, to resolve parenting issues. This research helps expand nursing knowledge and presents a synthesis of the life experiences of homeless families in parenthood. Nursing can respond to the vulnerable population, due to its predominant role in promoting their health.
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Exploring Tiny Homes as an Affordable Housing Strategy to Ameliorate Homelessness: A Case Study of the Dwellings in Tallahassee, FL. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17020661. [PMID: 31968544 PMCID: PMC7013530 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17020661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
An emerging strategy to combat homelessness is the development of “tiny homes”. However, the advent of tiny homes as a new form of housing intervention raises a number of questions about their intentions, efficacy, and policy feasibility. This paper seeks to understand the strategies used by stakeholders to plan, design, and implement a tiny home community to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness, and to understand where these plans were effective and where challenges arose in meeting the intended project goals. Utilizing the recent development of Tallahassee’s “The Dwellings” project as a case study, we examine how the community was planned, resident experiences, and constraints to implementing a tiny home development. We use qualitative methods that include interviews with stakeholders who were integral to the planning and development process. Our findings highlight how funding constraints and NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard-ism) stymied stakeholder efforts to achieve equity and affordability at The Dwellings, resulting in the inability to achieve project aims of developing housing that serves the homeless population. We conclude by offering some observations and lessons learned for future research on tiny homes as a solution to ameliorate homelessness.
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