Hostel Dwellers Research Articles

Association of physical activity and feeding preferences of children with their nutritional status: A school based crosssectional study

Background: People who are obese have a higher risk of acquiring many severe diseases. Feeding preferences and physical activities are deemed to play an important role in obesity in children. Objectives: This study aimed to find out the prevalence of over nutrition among primary level children in selected private schools of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). It also assessed the impact of physical activity level and feeding preferences on their nutritional status. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was done among 488 children and their parents, in six schools of KMC between May and August 2016. Children with written permission were included in the study, while absentees or hostel dwellers were excluded. Multistage cluster sampling was used for sampling. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institutional Review Committee of Kathmandu Medical College Public Limited and informed consent was taken from all participants. The questionnaire contained questions regarding socio-demographic details, modified Child’s Feeding Questionnaire and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS v.20. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 4.5% (22) and obesity was 2.5% (12). Similarly, 135 (27.7%) children had adequate physical activity per day. Those with adequate physical activity were 1.5 times more likely to be overweight. Parent’s perception of their child’s weight and their concern about their child being overweight were both predictors of the child’s actual weight. Conclusion: Nutritional status of children was affected by feeding preferences of their parents, so they need to be educated about the importance of healthy eating and physical activities.

An Analytical Study on Dietary Factor Influenced by Hemoglobin Levels for Sufficient Feeding Defective Marrow

According to WHO, the prevalence of anemia is highest in South Asia, and India has the maximum prevalence of anemia among the South Asian countries. Anemia is major concern in developing countries like India. Thus, the present study explored the dietary factors influencing hemoglobin levels among college students. Adopting stratified and simple random sampling technique, this study is showed at 3 Arts and Science Colleges situated in North Chennai. This study is directed among 1000 students in the age group of 19 to 22 years. Interview schedule was used for collection of the details regarding the background information and eating habits of the participants. Biochemical tests are the most objective and sensitive measures of nutritional status. In the present study, hemoglobin is evaluated using Drabkin Method. The attained particulars are oblique and arrived into Microsoft excel. The oblique raw data are exposed to numerical study utilizing Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. Hemoglobin levels of the participants were correlated with dietary habits. The prevalence of anemia was more among 19 years (73.4%), followed by 65% in 20 years, 54.6% in 21 years and 46% in 22 years. Hostel dwellers were more prone to anemia than the students resided with the parents, friends and relatives. Students residing at hostel tend to have a poor eating habit leading to low hemoglobin levels. Vegetarians are more prone to anemia when compared to mixed diet consumers and ova- vegetarians.

The hostel wars in apartheid South Africa: rumour, violence and the discourse of victimhood

ABSTRACT During the transition to democracy in the 1990s, South Africa was engulfed in escalating violence. The majority of the violence occurred in KwaZulu and Natal and the African townships in the Pretoria – Witwatersrand – Vereeniging area. It pitted supporters of the African National Congress against the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). In the area around Johannesburg, the IFP’s mobilisation in workers’ hostels created violent rifts between township communities and IFP aligned hostel dwellers. Based on life history interviews and archival research, this article explores what mobilised hostel dwellers into violent action. The article argues that rumours of threat and expulsion led to the politicisation of ethnic identities and the strengthening of ethnic solidarities. The expulsion of Zulu-speaking hostel dwellers from Sebokeng hostel in July 1990, and the destruction of two hostels in the East Rand, triggered fears among hostel dwellers that their lives and their place in the city were at risk. It paved the way for a discourse of victimhood that framed violence against township communities as ‘defensive’, in an attempt to reverse the status of perpetrators and victims. These fears were further exacerbated and manipulated by IFP propaganda and their espousal of Zulu ethnic nationalism.

An epidemiological study of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among medical students in a metropolitan city

Background: Life-style related risk factors are mainly implicated for increased burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) globally. In India, 21.1% total deaths in 2010 were due to CVDs. Compelling evidence shows that India stands to lose $2.17 trillion (of 2010 dollars) between 2012- 2030 due to CVDs. A study related to cardiovascular risk behaviour among medical students is essential, considering their role as future physicians and role models in public health intervention programs. There are very few studies among the budding physicians, especially in India.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out among 240 undergraduate MBBS medical students in a metropolitan city. Data was collected by using a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of close and open ended questions. Assessment of demographic profile, medical profile, alcohol use, dietary habits, physical activity and stress (PSS-10) was done. The data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS 20 statistical software. Descriptive statistical measures like percentage, mean and standard deviations were calculated. An inferential statistical measure like Chi square was applied.Results: Out of total 9 risk factors, the prevalence of ≤3 risk factors was 56.7% and ˃3 risk factors were 43.3%. 100% medical students had unhealthy dietary habits, 90.8% had stress, 59.6% had pre-hypertension/hypertension and 43.3% had insufficient physical activity. Gender and Hostel dwellers showed significant association with >3 risk factors.Conclusions: All medical students had one or more risk factors which would lead to early onset of cardiovascular diseases in near future.

Service provision for older homeless people with memory problems: a mixed-methods study

Background Early or timely recognition of dementia is a key policy goal of the National Dementia Strategy. However, older people who are homeless are not considered in this policy and practice imperative, despite their high risk of developing dementia. Objectives and study design This 24-month study was designed to (1) determine the prevalence of memory problems among hostel-dwelling homeless older people and the extent to which staff are aware of these problems; (2) identify help and support received, current care and support pathways; (3) explore quality of life among older homeless people with memory problems; (4) investigate service costs for older homeless people with memory problems, compared with services costs for those without; and (5) identify unmet needs or gaps in services. Participants Following two literature reviews to help study development, we recruited eight hostels – four in London and four in North England. From these, we first interviewed 62 older homeless people, exploring current health, lifestyle and memory. Memory assessment was also conducted with these participants. Of these participants, 47 were included in the case study groups – 23 had ‘memory problems’, 17 had ‘no memory problems’ and 7 were ‘borderline’. We interviewed 43 hostel staff who were participants’ key workers. We went back 3 and 6 months later to ask further about residents’ support, service costs and any unmet needs. Findings Overall, the general system of memory assessment for this group was found to be difficult to access and not patient-centred. Older people living in hostels are likely to have several long-term conditions including mental health needs, which remain largely unacknowledged. Participants frequently reported experiences of declining abilities and hostel staff were often undertaking substantial care for residents. Limitations The hostels that were accessed were mainly in urban areas, and the needs of homeless people in rural areas were not specifically captured. For many residents, we were unable to access NHS data. Many hostel staff referred to this study as ‘dementia’ focused when introducing it to residents, which may have deterred recruitment. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, no other study and no policy acknowledges hostels as ‘dementia communities’ or questions the appropriateness of hostel accommodation for people with dementia. Given the declining number of hostels in England, the limits of NHS engagement with this sector and growing homelessness, this group of people with dementia are under-recognised and excluded from other initiatives. Future work A longitudinal study could follow hostel dwellers and outcomes. Ways of improving clinical assessment, record-keeping and treatment could be investigated. A dementia diagnosis could trigger sustained care co-ordination for this vulnerable group. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

From hostels to CRUs: Spaces of perpetual perplexity

ABSTRACTThis article highlights the dissonance that takes place in the conversion of the hostel system and the transformation of migrant spaces to Community Residential Units (CRUs), using the KwaMashu hostel as a primary site of investigation. CRUs are family housing designed by the government to replace former single sex workers’ hostels. The interesting changes that have been taking place at the hostel include the refurbishment of the hostels and the setting up of CRUs, shrinking formal employment, the increased presence of young, unmarried women and children from the rural areas, increased informal settlements in the surroundings of the CRUs, an increase in the crime rate, and failed attempts to abolish the informal settlements in the past 26 years. Specifically, the abolition of influx control in 1986 and the dawning of democracy in South Africa in 1994 were turning points for the former hostels. The article highlights the stories of hostel dwellers and the processes that take place when the former single sex workers’ hostels of the apartheid era are turned into CRUs.

Prevalence and mitigation strategies of HIV/AIDS infection risks in Namibian tertiary education institutional hostels

The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors that could promote HIV infection amongst adolescents and young adults living in tertiary educational institutional hostels in Namibia. Employing structured questionnaires and focus group discussions, we sought to answer questions pertaining to factors, beliefs systems, values, traditions and sexual relations that could promote HIV infection in the student hostels. The data on these issues were gathered from 306 male and 314 female students aged 18–35 years living in eight hostels. Amongst other results, the data revealed that sexual promiscuity in the hostels was treated as the norm in the majority of cases, unauthorized access to hostel rooms by non-hostel dwellers was rampant, sexual harassment of female students by men who were under the influence of alcohol was reported to be common and there was general lack of support for victims of sexual abuse in the hostels. In addition, there was a general sense of insecurity in the hostels where more than 50% of the participants were afraid of being sexually attacked, some female hostel residents engaged in sexual activities for monetary and material gain and there was a general practice of older men from the community having sexual relations with young female hostel dwellers. To mitigate these and other risks it is recommended that there be provision of more HIV/AIDS prevention services, enhanced security, non-toxic entertainment (e.g. participation in sport and social clubs) and the banning of the sale of alcohol in student residences and on tertiary institution campuses. These and other results are discussed in the article and ways of mitigating the risks are proposed.

Homelessness and Hiv/Aids in Johannesburg

This paper contends that the peculiar, chronic, itinerant lifestyles and precarious spaces occupied by the homeless enhance their risk and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. These spaces, including the streets, shacks and cardboard boxes, mine dumps and unorganised shelters, expose them to indecent lifestyles, poor choices and greater risk of HIV, as well as Tuberculosis (TB) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). This study was conducted amongst street homeless people, shack and hostel dwellers in informal settlements in various locations in Johannesburg. Inferences were drawn from the personal experiences of homeless people, and inputs from individuals and organisations that are engaged and work in the field of homelessness. Types of dwellings, overcrowding, livelihoods, knowledge of HIV/AIDS and survival sex are among the issues examined. Preliminary findings indicate that, firstly, poverty is a leading cause of precarious housing among the homeless. Secondly, behavioural practices, especially survival sex, make homeless people vulnerable to HIV. As a result, there is an increase in mortality rates from both HIV and AIDS amongst this group of people. Thirdly, the difficulties homeless people experience in gaining access to water, sanitation and health care services also compromises the care of those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Finally, other barriers to care and determinants of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS are the lack of knowledge, judgemental attitudes of the care providers overcrowding and lack of adequate nutrition amongst the homeless.

Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during Pathways to homelessness among older people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Introduction Brazil's rapid development has led to profound social and economic stresses. With a Gini index of 60.7 it is one of the world's most unequal countries; the poorest 20% share just 2% of the nation's income. A third of the population lives in extreme poverty, unemployment is high and a quarter of all jobs are in the informal sector. Ten million people are aged 65 and over in Brazil, comprising 6% of the population. (1) Recent governments have sought to improve the lot of older people through progressive non-contributory pension schemes covering both rural and urban populations. Nevertheless, as in many developing countries, older people remain largely dependent upon family support, particularly in the event of the onset of disability. (2) There are no reliable estimates of the number of homeless persons in Brazil. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements has defined homelessness (2000) in broad terms as a condition of detachment from society characterized by the lack of the affiliative bonds that link people into their social structures. Homelessness carries implications of belonging nowhere rather than simply having nowhere to sleep. Homelessness can thus encompass those living in insecure circumstances as well as hostel dwellers and those forced to sleep without shelter. In Brazil, rural poverty, rural-to-urban migration and income inequality are all likely to contribute to homelessness. The discourse on homelessness in Brazil is currently dominated by the landless rural poor and the plight of street children; the large numbers of urban street-dwellers are given relatively little attention. We investigated pathways into homelessness for older people through a survey of all older residents of public hostels in Rio de Janeiro. Setting and participants Rio de Janeiro has two statutory institutions providing board and lodging for homeless people. Most of the elderly are housed by the Fundacao Leao XIII funded by the state government. Applications for admission may be made by outreach programmes, directly by individuals or by referral from general hospitals. At the time of this survey, they lodged 802 people (567 men and 235 women), of whom 112 (13.9%) were aged 65 years or over. Narratives from open-ended interviews revealed that many of these older hostel residents were isolated, and that they had lived on the margins of society for much of their lives. Typically, they had migrated into Rio from the rural areas of the state or from Brazil's north many years previously. They had lost contact with their families of origin, and most had failed to establish settled ties in Rio. Few had married, and most who had married were divorced. Many had worked in the years leading up to becoming homeless, but in the informal sector. Loss of employment was critical for many participants: some had accommodation that was tied to their work and when they lost their work they lost their home; others simply could not afford to support themselves when their income was gone. The onset of impairment and disability was an important precipitant of homelessness, both because of the consequent loss of employment and income, and because family support was not forthcoming. Discussion The insecurities experienced by older people living in low- and middle-income countries with limited pension and social welfare provision are well recognized. However, this is to our knowledge the first systematic study of indigent older people from Latin America, and one of the first such studies from any developing country. …

Mapping Museum–Community Relations in Lwandle*

South Africa's political transition brought both challenges and opportunities for the country's museums. Since 1994, many community museums have been formed with the active involvement of social groups formerly excluded from the management of public spaces. The Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum is one such community project, which aimed to commemorate migrancy through displays mounted in a preserved migrant labourers' hostel. This article explores the relations between the Lwandle Museum and local communities, examining how the creation of the museum involved various forms of conflict, including problems created by the lack of alternative accommodation for some of the hostel dwellers, a lack of funding, tensions between ‘professional’ guides and local experts speaking to their own experience of migrancy, incomprehension as to the purpose and meanings of different aspects of exhibitions on the part of locals and tourists, and tensions between preservationism and tourism as alternative museum goals and strategies. The authors reflect on debates over how to commemorate migrancy and involve local communities from their own position of active engagement with the museum as curators, and in the light of their own experiences of managing tensions with the community.

Prevalence of alcohol related brain damage among homeless hostel dwellers in Glasgow

Over half of Glasgow's 4000 homeless people drink hazardously but the prevalence of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) has not been described. To determine the prevalence of ARBD among homeless hostel dwellers in Glasgow. A representative sample of homeless hostel dwellers was surveyed using validated survey instruments and clinical assessment. From a sample of 266 hostel dwellers, 82% had cognitive impairment and 78% were drinking hazardously. The prevalence of ARBD among homeless hostel dwellers was 21%. ARBD has a high prevalence among homeless hostel dwellers and treatment is usually effective. There is a need to actively identify and treat this population to help them move out of homelessness.

Associations with Vitamin D deficiency in “at risk” Australians

In a study of 185 elderly living in assisted care and 192 frail aged living in the community in the Sydney metropolitan area, nursing home residents were found to be at a 3-fold and hostel dwellers at a 2-fold risk of Vitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency (<25 nmol/L) compared to self care residents. Middle Eastern people were found to be at 4-fold risk and Vietnamese a 3-fold risk of deficiency compared to their Australian counterparts. In recently arrived Chinese immigrants, Vitamin D deficiency, was found in 28%, and marginal levels (<37 nmol/L) in 60%, compared to the 34 and 76% found in our nursing home population, and 25 and 57% in hostel care residents. Of the Middle Eastern elderly, 58% were deficient and 83% marginal; although only 18% of Vietnamese were deficient, 68% had marginal Vitamin D status. Other factors associated with Vitamin D deficiency were mobility and sun exposure in assisted care, and low dietary Vitamin D and calcium intake, reduced exercise levels and high % body fat levels in the immigrant groups.

Evidence-based management of an outbreak of hepatitis A among intravenous drug users, the homeless and hostel dwellers

Over an 18-month period from March 2000 to September 2001, there were two outbreaks of hepatitis A among intravenous drug users (IDU) and hostel dwellers in an urban district population of approximately one million (former Avon Health Authority area). This paper details the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions in hepatitis A outbreak management among this specific client group.

Homelessness and Exclusion: Regulating public space in European Cities

Public space is an essential component of the daily life of homeless people, whether rough sleepers or hostel dwellers or others who are inadequately housed. During 2006 a group of researchers from the European Observatory on Homelessness considered the ways in which the increasing surveillance, regulation and control over public space, evident in all European cities, has impacted on the lives of homeless people. In this paper we chart the background to this latest phase in the 'regulation of urban space' and assemble evidence from across Europe and especially from our case study countries – Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden. We attempt an analysis of these trends using concepts of 'border control', 'discipline' and 'deterrence'. We also consider a limited number of examples of resistance by and on behalf of homeless people to the imposition of restrictions on public space access. In the concluding section, we reflect on related wider societal processes associated with urban regulation and surveillance and their impact on the use of public space.

Physiotherapy for Homeless People: Implementation and service evaluation

Methods During the initial nine-month period a pilot service was established and evaluated using a combination of audit and qualitative methodologies. A unique needs-led physiotherapy service was developed, which involved clinics within drop-in centres and a domiciliary service for hostel dwellers. To answer key questions about service use, patients’ records over a two-year period were analysed. Findings Two hundred and one patients self-referred over the pilot period. 84% of a stratified random sample of patients expressed satisfaction with the service. Emerging themes from the qualitative analysis suggested the easy access nature and positive attitudes of the physiotherapists contributed to the high level of satisfaction. To evaluate the established service, descriptive statistics were collated from two years of service provision, with patterns of attendance and presenting problems discussed.

Drug related deaths amongst Glasgow city hostel dwellers

The problems of homelessness and drug misuse are every day issues encountered in today's society. Over the past 2 years the number of hostel residents overdosing within their rooms in the city of Glasgow was shown to increase. Approximately three-quarters of deaths involved heroin, of which 56% also involved at least one benzodiazepine. This paper demonstrates a dearth in the literature relating to drug misuse amongst the homeless population, highlighting an area in need of address by the appropriate authorities.

Umzamo:improving hostel dwellers' accommodation in South Africa

Migrant labour hostels are estimated to provide accommodation for one million people in South Africa. Whilst there has been a strong focus on housing low-income families in the country, Umzamo is one of the few organizations that work specifically with hostel dwellers and hostel redevelopment. In partnership with hostel residents, the local and provincial authorities and technical consultants, Umzamo is playing a key role in the conversion of public hostels into family accommodation in Cape Town. This paper looks at work to support tenant involvement in hostel redevelopment in a project to provide homes for 70,000 people. The author describes the background to the project and some of Umzamo's longstanding activities within the settlement. She then examines the scope and nature of tenant involvement in the conversion project before drawing some conclusions about the future management of the converted accommodation, the role of Umzamo itself, and critical challenges to the successful realization of the hostel redevelopment.

&lt;I&gt;Umzamo&lt;/I&gt;: improving hostel dwellers' accommodation in South Africa

&lt;I&gt;Umzamo&lt;/I&gt;: improving hostel dwellers' accommodation in South Africa

Local peace and the South African transition

From the time of Nelson Mandela's dramatic release from prison in 1990 until the 1994 elections, South Africa suffered tremendous community violence from politicized ethnic conflict. The protagonists were variously labeled: Politically, the conflict occurred between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party (ANC vs. IFP). Ethnically, the conflict was seen as the “Zulus vs. Xhosas.” Socially, the protagonists were “squatters and hostel dwellers.” Often a township hostel (labor compound) reserved for Zulu speaking men, and controlled by the IFP, would be the flash point for weeks or months of intense factional fighting. The violence was widely viewed not only as a symptom of political tensions, and ethnic or tribal animosity, but also of organized “third force” provocation, intended by white right‐wing ideologues (including members of the security forces, the South African Defense Force and the South African Police) to derail the political transition process. While many credit the structures created by South Africa's National Peace Accord for mitigating township violence, parallel conflict resolution and prevention processes existed already in some communities. One of them created a zone of peace in Soweto's Meadowlands section. By examining the Meadowlands conflict, the intervention it provoked by the Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre's Negotiation and Community Conflict Programme, and the outcomes that helped the community establish their zone of peace, we can learn lessons that might be successfully applied to other conflicts.

A Bed Called Home: Life in the Migrant Labour Hostels of Cape Town.

In the last three years the migrant labor hostels of South Africa, particularly those in the Transvaal, have gained international notoriety as theaters of violence. For many years they were hidden from public view and neglected by the white authorities. Now, it seems, hostel dwellers may have chosen physical violence to draw attention to the structural violence of their appalling conditions of life. Yet we should not lose sight of the fact that the majority of hostel dwellers are peace-loving people who have over the years developed creative strategies to cope with their impoverished and degrading environment. In this challenging study, Dr. Mamphela Ramphele documents the life of the hostel dwellers of Cape Town, for whom a bed is literally a home for both themselves and their families. Elaborating the concept of space in its many dimensions-not just physical, but political, ideological, social, and economic as well-she emphasizes the constraints exerted on hostel dwellers by the limited spaces they inhabit. At the same time, she argues that within these constraints people have managed to find room for manoeuvre, and in her book explores the emancipatory possibilities of their environment. The text is illustrated with a number of black-and-white photographs taken by Roger Meintjes in the townships and hostels.