Inadequate Housing Conditions Research Articles

Are Socio-Economic Determinants Important for Patient’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice: Evidence from Hepatitis-C Patients

Background: Hepatitis C is one of the commonest and fatal diseases in Pakistan as well as around the World. There were around 17 million people all over Pakistan with infected Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice are important determinants to combat this fatal disease. In this regard, socioeconomic factors including low income, low educational status and inadequate housing conditions may effect on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of socio-economic determinants on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. Methods: The convenient sample technique was used to collect the data of 278 patients of HCV from Hepatitis C Clinic at Social Security Teaching Hospital Multan Road Lahore. Logistic regression was applied to identify the socioeconomic determinants that was crucial important regarding patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice Results: The results indicate that those patients who had low educational status, low income, unemployed, and inadequate housing conditions had poor performance regarding knowledge, attitude and practices towards Hepatitis C. There was a significant association between socio-economic determinants and its effects on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. Conclusion: Poor knowledge, negative attitude and bad practice towards HCV were the main reasons behind poor socioeconomic determinants. Poor knowledge, bad practices, helpless peoples, low income, low status, inadequate housing conditions and educational status effects on patient’s health.

Establishing a nurse-managed health center for the urban poor in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Despite the rise in community health problems in populations living in urban slums, activities of community health nurses are limited in Bangladesh. This study aimed to describe how a nurse-managed health center (NMHC) was developed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. An exploratory-descriptive research design was used. The commitment phase was conducted to establish partnerships in the community. Involvement of community leaders and members and partnerships with various organizations were established successfully in the commitment phase. The assessment phase was completed by implementing personal interviews, community site visits, and household surveys of 172 households in the community. Action plans were developed and strategies were followed to change the community during the planning phase. Household survey results showed that community people suffered from non-communicable diseases, risk behaviors, and inadequate housing conditions. The high-priority community needs included nutrition and chronic management services, behavior change programs, and a clean environment. Action plans for health programs based on community needs and strategies such as securing manpower and equipment were developed. The systematic process of creating a NMHC, and the necessity of the community health nurse's role in responding to health needs of the urban poor in Dhaka, Bangladesh was confirmed.

Housing Conditions, Neighborhood Physical Environment, and Secondhand Smoke Exposure at Home: Evidence from Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers.

Over the past two decades, health-related issues among rural-to-urban migrant workers in China have been widely discussed and documented by public health scholars. However, little, if any, scholarly attention has been paid to migrant workers’ secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home. This study aims to explore the contours of SHS exposure at home and investigate the effects of inadequate housing conditions and poor neighborhood physical environments on such in-home exposure among Chinese migrant workers. A respondent-driven sampling method was employed to interview 1854 rural-to-urban migrant workers from the period June 2017 to June 2018 in Chengdu, China. The results indicate that Chinese migrant workers are at high risk of SHS exposure at home. Migrant workers who live in homes with inadequate conditions, such as substandard housing and crowdedness, are especially at high risk of SHS exposure at home. Moreover, poor neighborhood physical environments are significantly and positively associated with SHS exposure at home. These findings suggest that strategies that can help improve housing conditions and neighborhood physical environments should be developed and promoted to protect rural-to-urban migrant workers from SHS exposure at home.

A Regal Study for Innovative Cities to Build Regional Innovation Hubs - Focused on Innovation City Season 2 -

수도권 중심의 경제성장을 탈피하고 지역균형발전을 도모하기 위하여 공공기관의 지방이전을 기반으로 한 혁신도시 정책이 추진되어왔다. 혁신도시로의 공공기관 이전이 사실상 마무리 됨에 따라 정부는 혁신도시 시즌2 를 마련하여 혁신도시 발전이라는 새로운 도약을 추진하고 있다. 하지만 그동안 혁신도시에는 중앙정부와 지방자치단체의 행정 비효율, 혁신도시의 주거여건 미흡, 도심 공동화, 클러스터 구축 미흡 등 많은 문제점이 발생하였다. 혁신도시 시즌2 정책이 추진되는 지금에 있어서 혁신도시의 올바른 성장을 위해서는 무엇보다 중앙정부와 지방자치단체의 보다 명확한 역할 분배가 이루어져야 한다. 클러스터 구축 등을 위한 발전지원센터의 운영강화, 보다 현실적인 지역인재채용을 위한 제도 개선 등으로 혁신도시가 보다 조기에 정착될 수 있도록 하는 노력이 필요하다. 이를 통해 혁신도시는 지역의 성장 동력으로 기능하고 균형발전의 거점으로 자리매김할 수 있어야 할 것이다.In order to escape economic growth centered on the metropolitan area and promote balanced regional development, innovative city policies based on local relocation of public institutions have been promoted. As the transfer of public institutions to innovative cities is virtually completed, the government is preparing for a new leap forward in the development of innovative cities by establishing Innovative Cities Season 2 . However, there have been many problems of innovative city policies, including administrative inefficiencies of central governments and local governments, inadequate housing conditions for innovative cities, urbanization and lack of cluster construction. In the period when the Innovative City Season 2 policy is being implemented, a clearer distribution of roles between the central government and local governments must be made in order to achieve the proper growth of the Innovative City. Efforts should be made to make the innovative city settled earlier by strengthening the operation of the Development Support Center for establishing clusters and improving the system for more realistic recruitment of local talent. Through this, innovative cities should be able to function as regional growth engines and become a base for balanced development.

Accidents Increase in Inadequate Housing Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey

Objectives: Housing is an important determinant of health, and substandard housing is a major public health issue. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of home accidents, and to evaluate the associations between housing conditions and home accidents in a health centre region in Ankara. Methods: In this cross-sectional research, we collected data from a representative sample of 210 houses using two standard questionnaires, which was used in the WHO’s Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) project. In total, 528 people participated. Home accidents were self-reported and questioned for the previous year. We developed a composite index to assess the overall housing conditions. Housing conditions were accepted “inadequate” if the score was below the median. We developed a logistic regression model to predict the housing-related factors in accidents.Results: Of the participants, 60.4% were female, 89.0% had health insurance, and 56.1% were married. Fifty-eight point three percent of the respondents were living in inadequate housing conditions. The prevalence of home accidents during previous year was 21.2%. The first three most common accident types were falls, cuts, collision/striking and the mostly injured body parts were arm/upper limb, leg/lower limb, surface area of the body. Some of the items which have been involved in these accidents were construction features, kitchen equipment, and knives. The accidents were more common among females, people who reported fatigue, in kitchens with too little workplace and houses with noise problems(p<0.05). The odds of home accidents were 1.8 times more (95% CI:1.1-2.8) among residents living in inadequate housing conditions. The logistic model showed that, accidents were 2.1 times more (95% CI: 1.1-4.2) in those living in houses where adaptations for physical constraints were lacking, and 1.9 times more among females (95% CI: 1.1-3.3). Conclusion: Home accidents were common and related to housing conditions. We recommended that factors that can cause accidents in residential buildings be taken into consideration during the construction phase through cooperation of the municipality, the construction sector and the health personnel. This will enable everyone to benefit from these arrangements in the house.

Factors Affecting the Shortage and or Provision of Sustainable Affordable Housing in Developing Countries - A Case-Study of Cross River State, Nigeria

The problem of shelter in Cross River State, Nigeria is the shortage of affordable housing especially for the urban poor. This housing shortage exposes the citizens to live in inadequate housing conditions. This study presents evidence of the factors affecting the shortage and or provision of sustainable affordable housing in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study provides evidence from a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Primary data was collected from semi-structured interviews and unobtrusive observations. This data was then analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts and simple percentages). The findings of this study reveal that, many interviewees identified rural-urban migration 98% (n=48), and lack of planning, maintenance and management 90% (n=45) as the main factors leading to the shortage of affordable housing. Similarly, the interviewees identified the poor implementation of government housing policies 84% (n=42), difficulty in purchasing land 94% (n=47), the high cost of building materials 96% (n=48), and lack of finance and access to credit facilities 80% (n=40), as significant problems facing sustainable affordable housing provision. The research provides recommendations that affordable housing shortage and or provision can be minimised and enhanced by encouraging building developments that are flexible and smart with minimal usage of non-renewable energy, availability of housing for the target population and a switch to a more sustainable way of planning, design, construction and maintenance of buildings. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.22.1.20573

The right to adequate housing. Consequences of the deficiency of the Mexican legal framework. Case: Fractionation Yacatitas, Yuriria, Guanajuato, Mexico

Having a home is not just a moral pretension. In Mexico, since the 2011 reforms in the field of human rights, enjoying adequate housing has become a legal obligation, but is it really guaranteed that homes have the minimum parameters to be considered adequate? Undoubtedly, infrastructure, habitability, affordability, location and the environment are some of the parameters of housing that are not always met. The purpose of this text is to contribute to the debate on the definition and scope of the right to adequate housing; as well as studying the perception of the inhabitants of the Yacatitas subdivision in Yuriria, Guanajuato, where the deficiency of the legal framework generated inadequate housing conditions, provoking the activation of legal actions to appeal the right to adequate housing in accordance with the international treaties.

Condições de saneamento como indicador epidemiológico para Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana na Amazônia sul ocidental brasileira

This paper analyzes the relationship between sanitation and electricity service conditions, and American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in Acre. For this study we considered the cases reported in the Brazilian System for Disease Notification between 2001 and 2010, using the principal component analysis. The analysis suggested a direct association between ACL and inadequate housing characteristics –that worsen the occurrence of this disease-, such as: water supply in river or lakes, rainwater storage, disposal of solid waste dumped in vacant lots, and absence of electricity service, in rural areas; and absence of bathrooms and sanitation, in both urban and rural areas. An inverse association arises, mitigating the occurrence of ACL, in urban areas, by using septic tanks for sewage. The associations found in this study suggest that inadequate housing conditions contribute to increasing the population’s exposure to vectors of ACL.

The welfare of ducks during foie gras production

AbstractThis review, which focuses on foie gras production from ducks in France, highlights welfare problems that may arise in the final (third) stage of production, when force-feeding occurs and which lasts 12 to 15 days. Welfare problems arising in the first two stages are also considered. The male mulard duck, a non-migratory hybrid between a muscovy drake (Cairina moschata) and a female domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos), is used most frequently despite being fearful, nervous and maladapted to force-feeding conditions. During the period of force-feeding, mortality is 2 to 6%, higher than in fattening units for meat production. Welfare deteriorates markedly as ducks progress through the three production stages. Posture and gait abnormalities and wing lesions develop, and contact dermatitis is widespread and often severe. Oesophagitis and other injuries are documented. Steatosis and other liver changes are pathological and can limit duck survival. Group housing necessitates the use of crowd-gates to facilitate force-feeding of birds, which show aversive behaviour towards the force-feeder. Cages are small, with a mesh floor without litter or a rest area. Access to open water for bathing or full immersion of the head may be insufficient and make thermoregulation difficult. We conclude that forcefeeding causes very poor welfare in ducks and should not be practised. Should foie gras production without force-feeding become possible, duck livers should not reach a weight at which there are pathological effects. Inadequate housing and management conditions should be prevented by establishing limits for the prevalences of contact dermatitis (foot-pad and digits), breast lesions and gait abnormalities, which should not be exceeded prior to slaughter. Limits should also be established for the prevalence of wing and other body lesions after slaughter.

Assessment of Private Homes as Spaces for the Dying Elderly.

Aim:This study makes an assessment of end-of-life care of the elderly in private homes in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Participants and Methods:Primary data were collected from private homes which supported elder care through observation and semi-structured interviews with primary family caregivers of the elderly.Results:The study finds that the major factors preventing private homes from providing adequate care to the elderly were architecturally inadequate housing conditions, paucity of financial support, and scarcity of skilled caregivers. Besides, considerable neglect and domestic abuse of the elderly was also found in some private homes. In addition, the peripheral location of private homes within public health framework and inadequate state palliative policy, including stringent narcotic regulations, accentuated the problems of home care.Conclusion:The study concludes by questioning the rhetoric of private homes as spaces for the dying elderly in Kolkata and suggests remedial measures to improve their capacity to deliver care.

Housing Policies and Health Inequalities

A large body of literature shows the link between inadequate housing conditions and poor physical and mental health. The aim of this paper is to summarize the research on the impact of local housing policies on health inequalities, focusing on the issues of access to housing and fuel poverty as studied in the SOPHIE project. Our case studies in Spain showed that people facing housing insecurity, experienced intense levels of mental distress. We found that access to secure and adequate housing can improve the health of these populations, therefore, public policies that address housing instability and their consequences are urgently needed. Housing conditions related to fuel poverty are associated with poorer health and are unevenly distributed across Europe. We found possible positive effects of façade insulation interventions on cold-related mortality in women living in social housing; but not in men. Policies on housing energy efficiency can reduce the health consequences of fuel poverty, but need to be free to users, target the most vulnerable groups and be adaptable to their needs.

Environmental and Socioeconomic Health Inequalities: a Review and an Example of the Industrial Ostrava Region.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) more than 2 million premature deaths and 7 million of total deaths each year can be attributed to the effects of air pollution. The contribution of air pollution to the health status of population is estimated to be about 20%. Health is largely determined by factors outside the reach of healthcare sector, including low income, unemployment, poor environment, poor education, and substandard housing. The aim of the paper was to review a current knowledge of relationships among air pollution, socioeconomic health inequalities, socio-spatial differentiation, and environmental inequity. The relationships were demonstrated on an example of the Ostrava region. Also basic approaches to health valuation were reviewed. Social differences are reasons both for health inequalities and spatial patterns of unprivileged area housing. In urban environments with poor air quality there is also a large concentration of low income residents. Less affluent population groups are more often affected by inadequate housing conditions including second-hand smoking and higher environmental burden in their residential neighbourhoods. Environmental injustice is highly correlated with other factors that link poverty with poor health, including inadequate access to medical and preventive care, lack of availability of healthful food, lack of safe play spaces for children, absence of good jobs, crime, and violence. The theoretical background and also results of the studies brought evidence that population health is affected by both socioeconomic and environmental inequalities. Air pollution is unevenly distributed in Ostrava and is related to distribution of socially disadvantaged environment and social exclusion as well.

Exploring the Housing and Household Energy Pathways to Stress: A Mixed Methods Study

Chronic stress, known to contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes, is closely associated with broader issues of material hardship, poor neighborhood conditions, residential instability, and inadequate housing conditions. However, few studies have comprehensively explored pathways to stress in a low-income housing environment. A mixed-methods pilot study investigated the concept of energy insecurity by looking at the impacts of weatherization and energy efficiency interventions on low-income households in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 low-income heads of household; participants also completed health, housing and budget assessments. Physical deficiencies, economic hardship, and health issues all interacted to directly and indirectly produce living conditions that contribute to chronic stress. Households with higher stress reported more health problems. Poor quality housing led to coping responses that increased expenses, which in turn increased stress around housing and energy affordability. This study provides further support for the connections between both health and the built environment and between low socio-economic status populations and net negative health outcomes. Energy insecurity is an important contributor to chronic stress in low-income households, and isolating pathways to stress where there is potential for interventions is important for future policy and housing-based strategies.

Housing quality and risk of acute respiratory infections among hospitalized children under five in Ibadan, Nigeria

Acute respiratory infection is the fourth major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five globally. However, information on housing characteristics that could predispose children under five to these infections is scanty in Nigeria. Therefore, this study assessed the quality of housing and its contribution to the acquisition of acute respiratory infections among children under five in Ibadan. A prospective case–control design was employed for this study. Two hundred and twenty children under five each with acute respiratory infection (cases) and without acute respiratory infection (controls) were selected from children visiting Oni-memorial Children Hospital and University College Hospital, Ibadan. A survey of 66 consented cases and controls each was carried out using a checklist to assess indoor housing indicators. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression at p < 0.05. More cases (43, 65.2%) than controls (28, 42.4%) reside in houses with poor housing quality (OR 2.5; 95% CI = 1.3–5.1). Presence of damp roof (OR 2.9; 95% CI = 1.1–8.1), mould growth on walls (OR 6.3; 95% CI = 2.0–19.6) and high indoor air relative humidity (OR 10.2; 95% CI = 3.0–35.2) were significant risk factors for acute respiratory infections in children under five. Inadequate housing conditions play an important role in the acquisition of acute respiratory infections. Therefore, considerable effort should be made to educate mothers of children under five on improved housing and hygiene conditions in order to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality risks associated with acute respiratory infections.

Informal Urban Development in the Greater Buenos Aires Area: A Quantitative-Spatial Assessment Based On Households’ Physical Features Using GIS and Principal Component Analysis

Informal urban development (IUD) is a key driver of urbanization in Latin America, which is challenging urban planning and governance. According to the last national census of 2010, in Argentina more than a fifth of households of the Greater Buenos Aires Area (GBA) live in inadequate housing conditions, in the most densely populated urban agglomeration in the country. The situation has worsened compared to the years 1991 and 2001. This IUD lacks recommended minimum housing standards and is thus outside urban planning regulations. An updated assessment that quantifies and characterizes existing levels of IUD is needed to support policy measures to improve households living conditions. This paper analyses the spatial distribution of IUD in the GBA on the basis of the census data 2010. To quantify levels of IUD, households’ housing physical features (material and infrastructural) were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA).

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Depression among mothers with young children is an important public health issue that not only has implications for their own well-being, but can also potentially affect their children's health and developmental trajectories. This study explored the extent to which maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing conditions related to utilities, a noteworthy risk factor for poor child health. Using data on 2965 mothers and children from a national urban cohort of U.S. births in 1998–2000, we estimated multivariate logistic regression models of associations between maternal depression during the postpartum year and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) measure of severely inadequate housing due to heating issues, as well as a broader measure of energy insecurity that encompasses various types of utility problems. We also considered outcomes that incorporated housing instability and food insecurity in conjunction with housing inadequacy. Mothers who experienced depression had about 60% higher odds of experiencing severely inadequate housing due to heat (OR: 1.57) and 70% higher odds of experiencing energy insecurity (OR: 1.69) compared to mothers who did not experience depression. Maternal depression was even more strongly associated with multiple hardships in the forms of housing inadequacy plus housing instability and/or food insecurity than it was with housing inadequacy. This study provides robust evidence that maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing and multiple hardships during a critical period of children's development. The findings suggest that policy efforts should not occur in mental health, housing, and food security silos.

English

The rapidly growing population of Kumba, like other Cameroonian cities, suffers from the problem of poor and inadequate housing conditions which manifest through anarchical construction – a potential source of future conflicts. This study employs the interviews of 60 directly affected inhabitants and three focus group discussion which was complemented by secondary sources. The information obtained was subjected to content analysis in order to guide the development of the urban housing framework. The results indicate that driving forces of housing conflicts in Kumba include population increase, inaequate shelter, difficulty in obtaining builsing permits, poor urban planning, non respect of building codes, poverty and high rents. These factors manifest through self-generative conflicts which emanate from frustration, anarchical sprawling of settlements, demolition and confrontations, selective demolition and the absence of relocation facilities. Synergy among urban development stakeholders (local population, council authorities, delegation of Urban Development and Housing, landlords and FEICOM) represents a logical way forward in the institution of suggested interventions  for housing improvement and conflict prevention. Key words: Housing conditions, conflict prevention, urban governance.

Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in Households of Public School Students of Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil

This cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the factors associated with food insecurity (FI) in households of the students aged 6-12 years in public schools of Salvador city, Bahia, Brazil. The study included 1,101 households. Food and nutritional insecurity was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (BFIS). Data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as well as environmental and housing conditions were collected during the interviews conducted with the reference persons. Multivariate polytomous logistic regression was used in assessing factors associated with food insecurity. We detected prevalence of food insecurity in 71.3% of the households. Severe and moderate forms of FI were diagnosed in 37.1% of the households and were associated with: (i) female gender of the reference person in the households (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.47-3.31); (ii) a monthly per-capita income below one-fourth of the minimum wage (US$ 191.73) (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.68-4.08); (iii) number of residents per bedroom below 3 persons (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.23-2.96); and (iv) inadequate housing conditions (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12-4.49). Socioeconomic inequalities determine the factors associated with FI of households in Salvador, Bahia. Identifying vulnerabilities is necessary to support public policies in reducing food insecurity in the country. The results of the present study may be used in re-evaluating strategies that may limit the inequalities in school environment.

Affording Housing at the Expense of Health: Exploring the Housing and Neighborhood Strategies of Poor Families.

Low-income families often simultaneously encounter housing and neighborhood problems pertaining to safety, affordability, and quality issues that necessitate strategies to maximize limited budgets and ensure safety. Such constrained decisions regarding inadequate housing and poor neighborhood conditions, however, may themselves create or exacerbate health risks. Building on the survival strategies literature, this article offers rich and detailed accounts of coping and management strategies on the part of vulnerable families facing housing and neighborhood hardships. The findings are based on in-depth interviews with 72 respondents and ethnographic observations in an urban community. The results illustrate how low-income women avoid neighborhood danger by relegating family life to the home environment, thereby increasing exposure to health risks such as stress, depression, and asthma. The discussion focuses on public health literature linking housing and health and proposes the use of legal strategies and community engagement as resources to complement current approaches to housing and neighborhood problems.

Using the Human Rights Based Approach to Tackle Housing Deprivation in an Irish Urban Housing Estate

Housing rights are becoming significant as a tool for highlighting needs and raising housing standards across the world. These rights are now an integral part of economic, social, and cultural rights within international human rights instruments, while the right to adequate housing is recognized legally at national and international levels. Among the methods of implementing these rights the human rights based approach (HRBA) is used by NGOs, community organizations and rights advocates. Many housing rights issues arise in relation to standards in social housing, urban regeneration and social housing policy development. This article examines a case study where the HRBA has been applied by local authority tenants in partnership with community development organizations and supported by human rights expertise to campaign for improvements to substandard housing conditions and deprivation within a Dublin inner city social housing estate. It appraises the adoption of the HRBA as a response to inadequate housing conditions and delayed regeneration programmes. The impact of poor housing on the health of tenants was an integral element of the arguments used. The outcomes of using the HRBA for the rights holders (the tenants) are assessed. Overall, this campaign led to significant improvements in conditions. The factors underlying the success centred on the way in which the HRBA framework, with its focus on measurable indicators of human rights violations, enabled community development organizations to create a human rights based public campaign that exerted considerable political pressure through the empowerment of tenants, leveraging of human rights experts, and considerable media publicity. The development of solutions in parallel with the local authority was also important. This approach transcended many established NGO and state approaches to addressing poverty.