Shelter Access Research Articles

Civilians under missile attack: post-traumatic stress disorder among the Jewish and Bedouin population of Southern Israel

BackgroundOver the past 20 years, Jewish and Bedouin civilians in southern Israel have faced the ongoing threat of missile attacks from Gaza, with possible mental health consequences. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Jewish and Bedouin adult civilians in southern Israel in a period with few missile attacks from Gaza, and no military operations.MethodsThe study population included 389 participants (246 Jews, 143 Bedouins) living within 40 km/25 mi from Gaza for at least 2 years and interviewed between January and March 2023 (before the ongoing war that started on October 7th, 2023). The PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) was used, with a score of 33 as a cutoff point for the presence of PTSD.ResultsCompared to Jews, a significantly lower proportion of Bedouins reported accessibility to bomb shelters and siren warning systems. Overall, 20.3% of the respondents exhibited PTSD. Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjustment for demographic and household characteristics, Bedouins had a six-fold significantly higher probability of PTSD in comparison to Jews (OR 5.6, 95%CI 2.8–10.8). Compared to participants with high socioeconomic status (SES), participants with low SES had a six-fold significantly higher probability of PTSD (OR 6.0, 95%CI 2.2–16.5). Participants who did not have an alarm system had more than two-fold odds for PTSD (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1–5.5). Being single, living in urban areas, or having a disability significantly increased the probability of PTSD.ConclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate a significantly higher prevalence of PTSD among the Bedouin population of Southern Israel. Several sociodemographic characteristics were associated with the increased prevalence of PTSD, the most prominent of which was low SES. Healthcare professionals and authorities should be proactive in screening for PTSD, and provide tailored treatment and support, taking into account ethnical and cultural background. Authorities should address the disparity in bomb shelter access and siren warning coverage between Bedouin and Jewish communities.

DAVSS: Development of Mobile Application for Documenting and Assessing Domestic Violence

This paper presents the development and evaluation of the Domestic Abuse and Violence Support System (DAVSS), a mobile application designed to address domestic violence issues in Malaysia. DAVSS integrates the essential 27-DASH (Danger Assessment for Separation and Harassment) questionnaire to assess the severity of domestic violence situations. The project follows the phased approach of the Waterfall Model, encompassing requirements, analysis, design, development, and testing stages.Usability testing was conducted to evaluate the DAVSS application, revealing overall user satisfaction. However, this assessment relied primarily on frequency analysis, prompting consideration for enhanced reliability through alternative measurement methods such as median and standard deviation approaches.The DAVSS application's Danger Assessment Test (DAT) algorithm, built upon the 27-DASH questions, represents a significant aspect of the system. Future work includes the validation of this rule-based algorithm using expert evaluation, potentially through Delphi techniques.Given the absence of dedicated domestic abuse mobile applications in Malaysia, DAVSS promises several advantages. It empowers victims to report incidents, locate shelters for protection, and facilitates shelter access through QR code integration. In conclusion, as domestic violence remains a pressing concern requiring increased support, the DAVSS mobile application emerges as a vital system that offers assistance to victims while breaking down barriers that may silence their voices.

High urban flood risk and no shelter access disproportionally impacts vulnerable communities in the USA

Vulnerable communities are disproportionately placed in low-lying, flood-prone neighborhoods, with deficient infrastructure and limited access to shelter. Here we present a methodology to study the risk of urban floods in tandem with access to shelter to reduce the risk of flooding to communities and prevent a natural hazard from turning into a human disaster. We integrate access to national emergency shelters into a national risk index for riverine floods in eight U.S. cities at the block group level using clustering techniques. The results show shelters are more accessible for inner-city residents regardless of the risk level, and communities with high risk of flood and low access to shelter are disproportionately home to the underserved populations of Asians and the elderly. The outcomes delineate the disparity in equity related to urban floods and support plans and policy needs by identifying and prioritizing areas to improve emergency responses and resource allocations.

A simpler method for understanding emergency shelter access patterns

ABSTRACT The Simplified Access Metric (SAM) is a new approach for characterizing patterns of homelessness. The goal of SAM is to provide emergency shelter operators and housing staff with an intuitive way to understand a person or group’s pattern of homelessness and/or shelter access that can be implemented by non-technical staff using spreadsheet operations. Client data from a large North American shelter will be used to demonstrate that SAM produces similar results to traditional transitional, episodic and chronic client cluster analysis. Since SAM requires less data than cluster analysis, it is also able to generate a timeline of homelessness patterns that can be updated in real time. Using nine years of shelter data, a shelter access timeline is presented that includes the introduction of Housing First programming and the COVID-19 lockdown. Finally, SAM allows shelter staff to move beyond assigning transitional, episodic and chronic labels and instead use the “soft” output of SAM directly to better understand a person’s experience of homelessness.

Community-Academic Advocacy to Improve Shelter Access for Families Experiencing Homelessness.

A 2012 Massachusetts shelter eligibility regulation required many families to spend a night in a location "not meant for human habitation" before qualifying for the state-run shelter system, and many families experiencing homelessness stayed in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) overnight to meet this requirement. ED clinicians initially recognized an increase in ED visits for homelessness after this regulation and began compiling and sharing stories with key institutional and community partners and stakeholders. To bolster advocacy efforts, the authors collected data on the magnitude of the problem and its associated health care costs. Guided by the policy knowledge of community partners, the authors leveraged the expertise and advocacy power of clinicians to share these data and stories with legislators via written and oral testimony, community events, and the media. Academic publication lent additional credibility and exposure to their research. In 2019, the Massachusetts Legislature passed budget language to overturn the 2012 shelter eligibility regulation. However, despite this policy victory, some families continue to present to EDs for homelessness. Therefore, current advocacy efforts have shifted focus toward implementation and enforcement of the new policy, monitoring issues, and developing new programmatic responses. In this advocacy case study, we illustrate how clinicians have unique abilities to serve as effective advocates for social policy change using a framework of strategies including storytelling, coalition building, tailored communication, and data sharing. Partnering with existing advocacy networks within their institution and community enhances the advocacy efforts of all stakeholders to influence social and health outcomes for children and families.

Human Centred Design Considerations for the Development of Sustainable Public Transportation in Malaysia

The growing trend of private car ownership in Malaysia is increasing traffic congestion. As part of a solution, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) chose to develop technologies for an electric bus system in Kuala Lumpur and initiated a project to design and engineer an electric bus system with a focus on Human Centred Design (HCD) principles. In order to fulfil this a total of 28-hours of user observation was conducted in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. Alongside this field research an online questionnaire study of future users (n = 102, Age 21–35) was conducted to further substantiate findings. As a result, we address the need for HCD considerations to be included in sustainable public transport systems in Malaysia. User observation revealed six key issues associated with the daily routine of a commuter which were then used to inform the questionnaire survey. Alarmingly, the survey revealed that over 60 per cent of respondents had never used the bus system in Kuala Lumpur stating problems such as frequency, comfort, driver attitude and bus shelter access. This provided a necessary platform for improvement resulting in eight key recommendations ranked by importance with the aim to increase bus usage in Malaysia.

Exploring southeast US mobile and manufactured home residents’ anchoring decisions

Forensic engineering assessments of tornado damage have consistently shown that inadequate or absence of anchorage of mobile and manufactured homes (MMHs) has been the primary cause of structure failure, leading to high tornado fatality rates in the Southeast United States. Therefore, it is important to determine whether these residents have anchored their homes and their underlying motivations. This research quantitatively explored various factors influencing Southeast US MMH residents’ current anchorage decisions and qualitatively explored other contextual factors for these decisions, including general mitigation knowledge and financial means. Results showed age, insurance, community shelter access, and self-efficacy perceptions reliably distinguished those who have already anchored their homes from those who have not and have no intentions to do so. On the other hand, among those who have not already anchored their homes, only tornado risk perceptions marginally distinguished those with intentions to anchor from those without. Also, those not already anchored were least likely to believe in the five tested myths and were potentially willing to spend $500–$999 on general mitigation, though few had ever considered fortifying their MMH and cost was the most cited barrier to doing so. The majority of participants knew nothing about the wind resistance of their home and only half of the sample knew the mitigation term, “manufactured home tie-down.” The knowledge gained here can help various public-facing communication entities design effective outreach materials to facilitate this population better protecting themselves from tornadoes by way of strengthening their vulnerable homes.

Shelter use by horses during summer in relation to weather conditions and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence

National legislation requires shelter access for horses kept outside during winter, whereas there are no requirements for shelter access to provide shade and a refuge from biting insects during summer. This study investigated use of artificial shelters by 10 horse groups continuously for eight summer weeks (2019: 5 groups, 2020: 5 groups, n = 42, 3 – 5 horses per group). Shelter use was recorded every 30 min, using wildlife cameras mounted inside the shelters, i.e., 48 recordings per day for 56 days (a total of 2688 recordings per group where each horse inside the shelter was identified and its behaviour noted). Daily weather conditions were recorded, and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence was quantified one day per week using H-traps (i.e. eight trap catches per group). The groups represented a variety of compositions (horse breed, age, gender) and shelter types (design, size). Across all groups and shelter types, shelter use increased on warmer days and the daily rhythm of shelter-seeking behaviour changed; on warmer days, shelter-seeking increased significantly during the day, whereas night-time use was unaffected. Further, significantly more horses were inside on days with the highest trap catch of horseflies compared to days with the lowest catch. We conclude that regardless of group composition and shelter type, horses make increased use of artificial shelters on warm summer days. Since all horses had access to natural shade in their pastures and shelter temperatures were generally higher than outdoor temperatures, we suggest that the increased shelter use on warm summer days was related to nuisance from biting insects. This is supported by the higher shelter use on days with a high horsefly catch. We recommend provision of shelter access to horses kept on summer pastures with limited opportunities to seek natural refuge from biting insects.

The Best Thresholds for Rapid Identification of Episodic and Chronic Homeless Shelter Use

This paper explores how to best identify clients for housing services based on their homeless shelter access patterns. We utilize the number of shelter stays and episodes of shelter use for a client within a specified time window. Thresholds are then applied to these values to determine if that individual is a good candidate for housing support. Using new housing referral impact metrics, we explore a range of threshold and time window values to determine which combination both maximizes impact and identifies good candidates for housing as soon as possible. New insights are also provided regarding the characteristics of the “under-the-radar” client group who are typically not identified for housing support.

Analisis Karakteristik Perilaku Perjalanan dan Willingness to Walk Penumpang BRT Trans Jateng (Purwokerto-Purbalingga)

The increasing need for transportation has prompted the government to provide public transportation to increase mobility and reduce the number of private vehicles. The Department of Transportation of Central Java Province has developed the Trans Jateng BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) mass transportation in the Barlingmascakeb area through activities to improve the Trans Jateng agglomeration transportation service. The BRT that has been operated in the Banyumas area is Corridor 1 on the Purwokerto-Purbalingga route. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of travel behavior and passengers' willingness to walk. The sampling of the research was random sampling using a questionnaire as the main data collection tool. The results of the discussion of travel behavior in terms of the purpose of the trip were dominated by recreation/shopping and education. The majority of BRT users used public transportation as the mode used before switching to BRT, the connecting mode from home to shelter is dominated by feeders, while from destination to shelter is dominated by walking. The connection distance from the house and from the destination to the shelter is >400 meters. Thus, the majority of respondents came from a buffer range of 0-400 meters. Based on willingness to walk, some respondents walk up to a radius of >400 meters. It is necessary to add more shelter points if the distance between stopping points does not meet the standards and provide better shelter access, especially by walking or using other integrated public transportation.

Predicting Chronic Homelessness: The Importance of Comparing Algorithms using Client Histories

This paper investigates how to best compare algorithms for predicting chronic homelessness for the purpose of identifying good candidates for housing programs. Predictive methods can rapidly refer potentially chronic shelter users to housing but also sometimes incorrectly identify individuals who will not become chronic (false positives). We use shelter access histories to demonstrate that these false positives are often still good candidates for housing. Using this approach, we compare a simple threshold method for predicting chronic homelessness to the more complex logistic regression and neural network algorithms. While traditional binary classification performance metrics show that the machine learning algorithms perform better than the threshold technique, an examination of the shelter access histories of the cohorts identified by the three algorithms show that they select groups with very similar characteristics. This has important implications for resource constrained not-for-profit organizations since the threshold technique can be implemented using much simpler information technology infrastructure than the machine learning algorithms.

Characteristics Associated With Unsheltered Status Among Veterans

Unsheltered homelessness is a strongly debated public issue. The study objective is to identify personal and community characteristics associated with unsheltered homelessness in veterans and to test for interactions between these characteristics. In a 2018 national survey of U.S. veterans with homeless experiences; investigators assessed unsheltered time; psychosocial characteristics; and community measures of shelter access, weather, and rental affordability. Associations between these characteristics and unsheltered status were tested in July-August 2020. This study also tested whether the count of personal risk factors interacted with community characteristics in predicting unsheltered status. Among 5,406 veterans, 481 (8.9%) reported ≥7 nights unsheltered over 6 months. This group was more likely to report criminal justice history, poor social support, medical and drug problems, financial hardship, and being unmarried. Their communities had poorer shelter access and warmer temperatures. The likelihood of unsheltered experience rose with risk factor count from 2.0% (0-1) to 8.4% (2-3) and to 24.2% (4-11). Interaction tests showed that the increase was greater for communities with warmer weather and higher rents (p<0.05). Among veterans experiencing homelessness, unsheltered experiences correlate with individual and community risk factors. Communities wishing to address unsheltered homelessness will need to consider action at both levels.

150 Winter blanketing practices: An online survey of North American horse owners

Blanketing is a highly debated practice utilized in the equine community as part of winter horse management. Despite this, little research is available on the prevalence, reasoning, and management decisions relating to the utilization of blankets for horses in North America. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to explore the blanketing management practices and the associated opinions and beliefs of respondents via an online survey. A 33-question branched survey was developed and available between December 1, 2020 and January 5, 2021 and advertised using social media and e-newsletters. When comparisons were made between participant-reported frequencies, the FREQ procedure for Chi-squared analysis in SAS was used. There were 1,693 participants who started the survey and the final completion rate was 86%. As a result, data was collected from 1,450 North American respondents. Demographic information indicated the majority of respondents were from the Midwest region of the United States (68%). However, geographical region did not impact the frequency of blanket usage ( P = 0.17, X 2 = 8.99). When respondents were asked to self-report discipline, recreational riding was the most prevalent (40%), followed by Western (22%), English (20%), other (14%), and non-riding disciplines (4%). Differences in blanket usage across disciplines were detected ( P ≤ 0.001, X 2 = 124.11) and blanketing was more common in English disciplines while nonblanketing was more common for those participating in recreational riding. Overall, 54% of respondents (n = 790) reported blanket use on the majority of their horses during the winter. The most frequently selected reason respondents chose to blanket horses was exposure to precipitation (78%). Out of the respondents who did not blanket the majority of their horses (n = 660), the primary reason for not blanketing was access to shelter (50%). For non-blanketed horses receiving outdoor turnout (n = 657), 84% had access to manmade shelters while 6% had no shelter access. This survey provides valuable information on blanketing and winter management practices reported by horse caretakers in North America, yet more research is required to evaluate the impacts of blanketing on horse welfare.

Provision of shelter during the prepartum period: Effects on behavior, blood analytes, and health status in dairy cows in winter

This study aimed to assess the effect of shelter provision during the prepartum period on lying, ruminating, and feeding behavior in outdoor-housed dairy cows exposed to winter weather conditions in a temperate climate. We also aimed to determine whether shelter provision during the prepartum period influenced blood analytes related to energy metabolism, body cleanliness, and health status. In this study, 2 cohorts of 12 multiparous Holstein prepartum cows were tested in winter. Twenty-five days before their expected calving date, the cows in each cohort were paired and randomly assigned to an open paddock without shelter or to one with access to an artificial shelter until calving. Shelter use, lying time, number of lying bouts, duration of lying bouts, rumination time, and feeding time were continuously recorded during the 3 wk before calving. Cows were assessed weekly for body cleanliness throughout the 3-wk prepartum period. A blood sample was taken from the coccygeal vein of each cow at wk -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, and 3 relative to calving date, and were assayed for nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate, and haptoglobin concentrations. Cases of clinical health disorders after calving were also recorded. The cows spent 60% of their daily time in the shelters, and for 75% of that time they were lying down. Cows with access to shelter during the prepartum period lay down around 3.2 h/d more than cows without shelter on wk -3 and -2 relative to calving. The cows with shelter access spent less time feeding during the morning (wk -3: 29.7 min; wk -2: 12.1 min; wk -1: 17.3 min) and afternoon (wk -3: 18.2 min; wk -2: 21.9 min) than cows without shelter access. As well, cows with shelter access showed a higher body cleanliness score (∼92 vs. ∼48%) and lower NEFA concentrations (wk -2: 0.27 vs. 0.44 mmol/L; wk -1: 0.46 vs. 0.64 mmol/L) in the precalving period, and lower haptoglobin concentrations in the first week postpartum (0.34 vs. 0.79 mg/mL) than cows without shelter access. We observed no treatment differences in daily rumination time, β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, or postpartum health disorders. Despite the small number of dairy cows used in this study, these findings suggest that having access to a shelter during the prepartum period increases lying time, improves body cleanliness, and reduces adipose mobilization. Therefore, it is important to provide a protected area for the welfare of prepartum dairy cows exposed to winter climate conditions.

From Isolation to Connection: The Practices and Promise of Open Domestic Violence Shelters.

Antidomestic violence advocates have begun to question two essential policies that have long defined domestic violence shelters-strict secrecy regarding shelter location and prohibitions on shelter access to all except staff and residents-both of which serve to increase survivors' social isolation and entail coercive rules that resonate painfully with broader oppressive dynamics. In response a growing number of communities have begun experimenting with open shelters, which break from tradition by making their locations public, and allowing visitors. Although this innovation is a sharp departure from tradition, virtually no research exists to explore its philosophical underpinnings, benefits, and challenges. This study addresses this gap. Study Questions: We used a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the experiences and perspectives of open shelter directors. Participants included 14 open shelter directors from 11 states. We conducted semistructured phone interviews with each participant, focusing on their shelter's (a) nature and history; (b) rationale; (c) policies and programs related to secrecy and openness; (d) benefits and challenges; (e) effects on specific survivor subgroups; and (f) practices used to build or strengthen survivors' relationships. Open shelters: (a) promote physical safety using a broad array of measures; (b) adopt a range of policies that promote varying degrees of location disclosure and visitor accessibility; (c) face challenges, such as the need to gain buy-in from multiple constituents; and (d) Improve survivor outcomes, including decreased shame; improved advocacy relationships; increased access to services and community involvement in shelter life; and deepened relationships with network members; in turn increasing prospects for physical and psychological well-being long after survivors' shelter stays are over. Findings suggest a new path for shelters interested in promoting survivor safety and healing in the context of a web of meaningful relationships.

Episodes of violence suffered by migrants transiting Libya, Italy and France

Abstract Background The Central Mediterranean is one of the most dangerous migration routes from Africa. Violence perpetrated to migrants in Libya and host countries has been documented but not rigorously quantified. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of violence suffered in Libya, Italy and France by migrants consulting Médecins du Monde programs. Methods Monocentric cross-sectional study. Inclusion criteria: migrants over 18 years old, transiting through Libya, arrived in Europe from 2017 and consulting in Saint Denis Health Center. Exclusion criteria: psycotraumatic manifestations. A sample size of 72 individuals was calculated. An ad-hoc questionnaire was created through Kobo Collect. Proportion and frequency of physical, privation and sexual violence, as well as health care and shelter access were measured in each country. Results 95 individuals were recruited and 72 were interviewed (16 refused 7 were excluded) from February to April 2019. 76.3% were men, mean age was 31.6 years, 76.4% had low educational level, 66.7% were from Ivory Coast and 58.3% left their country for security reasons. In Libya, length of stay was 180 days, global proportion of individuals suffering from violence (GPISV) was 98.1% for men and 88.2% for women. Prevalence of physical, privation and sexual violence was 94.1%, 84.3% and 17.6% for men, and 85.7%, 93.3% and 60.0% for women. Health care access in Libya was inexistent. In Italy, GPISV was 31.8% for men and 28.5% for women. Health care access was 41.4%. In France, GPISV was 20.0% for men and 12.5% for women and shelter access was 44.3%. 60.3% of the participants reported need of psychological support. Conclusions The vast majority of migrants testify suffering from direct violence during migration, specially dramatic in Libya. Women have a particular risk of sexual violence. In Europe, the main problems are the lack of health care access in Italy and precarious living conditions in France. Mental health support is urgent. Key messages The vast majority of migrants testify suffering from direct violence during migration, specially dramatic in Libya. In Europe, the main problems are related to lack of health care access in Italy and the precarious living conditions in France. Mental health support is urgent.

Promoting the Resilience of Older Adults Through Participatory Climate Change Adaptation Planning

AbstractDespite older adults’ vulnerability to climate change, little research has investigated their preferred adaptation strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into their perspective and the potential for participatory adaptation to enhance their resilience. This paper presents the results of a collaborative adaptation planning process conducted with older adults in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During two meetings, older adult participants developed recommendations following adaptation best practices. Recommendations focused on encouraging preparedness through workshops and informational materials tailored for older adults. Additional recommendations focused on enhancing community services to provide effective warning mechanisms, shelter access, ride sharing and transportation assistance, and establishing a telephone based clearinghouse for extreme weather and emergency resources for older adults. A prioritization exercise showed that the participants and city staff believed all recommendations were potentially effective and feasible. A summative evaluation showed that the participatory planning enhanced resilience by raising awareness among the older adult participants and city agencies, enhancing communication, and increasing the older adult participants’ ability to self-advocate.

Injuries and post-traumatic stress following historic tornados: Alabama, April 2011.

ObjectivesWe analyzed tornado-related injuries seen at hospitals and risk factors for tornado injury, and screened for post-traumatic stress following a statewide tornado-emergency in Alabama in April 2011.MethodsWe conducted a chart abstraction of 1,398 patients at 39 hospitals, mapped injured cases, and conducted a case-control telephone survey of 98 injured cases along with 200 uninjured controls.ResultsMost (n = 1,111, 79.5%) injuries treated were non-life threatening (Injury Severity Score ≤15). Severe injuries often affected head (72.9%) and chest regions (86.4%). Mobile home residents showed the highest odds of injury (OR, 6.98; 95% CI: 2.10–23.20). No severe injuries occurred in tornado shelters. Within permanent homes, the odds of injury were decreased for basements (OR, 0.13; 95% CI: 0.04–0.40), bathrooms (OR, 0.22; 95% CI: 0.06–0.78), hallways (OR, 0.31; 95% CI: 0.11–0.90) and closets (OR, 0.25; 95% CI: 0.07–0.80). Exposure to warnings via the Internet (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI: 0.09–0.49), television (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24–0.83), and sirens (aOR, 0.50; 95% CI: 0.30–0.85) decreased the odds of injury, and residents frequently exposed to tornado sirens had lower odds of injury. The prevalence of PTSD in respondents was 22.1% and screening positive for PTSD symptoms was associated with tornado-related loss events.ConclusionsPrimary prevention, particularly improved shelter access, and media warnings, seem essential to prevent severe tornado-injury. Small rooms such as bathrooms may provide some protection within permanent homes when no underground shelter is available.

Daytime shelter-seeking behavior in domestic horses

We examined daytime shelter-seeking behavior (SSB) in domestic horses housed outdoors and studied the relationship of temperature, precipitation, and wind speed with SSB. We studied 50-60 Arabian horses (depending upon time of year) and 3-5 draft horses. Horses were divided among 8 pastures containing sheds. There were 2 study phases. In the first, up to 676 scan samples were taken for each pasture over a 12-month period (total observations = 5,025). At each observation, we noted whether or not a shed was being used. In the second phase, randomly selected focal animals were chosen from each pasture and observed twice per week for 16 weeks. Forty-four focal animals were observed (total observations = 3930). At each sampling time, we noted weather conditions and recorded whether each subject was standing or lying inside or next to shelters. Shelter usage ranged from a low of <10% of observations in many weather conditions to a high of 62% of observations when it was snowing and wind speed was >4.9 m/s. When wind was >2.2 m/s, there was a significant effect of rain on shelter usage, that is, more horses used shelters in rainy, breezy conditions ( P < 0.01). When wind was >2.2 m/s, there was a significant effect of snow on shelter usage, that is, more horses used shelters in snowy, breezy conditions ( P < 0.01). Though overall shelter usage was typically <10%, it appears that shelter access is very important in certain weather conditions.

E‐government access to social service information: State web resources for domestic violence survivors

AbstractThis study provides the first nationwide analysis of states' e‐government support for domestic violence (DV) survivors, identifying characteristics and patterns of domestic violence content and access to this content on all state government Web sites (50 states plus the District of Columbia). Using a systematic examination of click paths and site search results, DV content was located, examined, and codified in terms of information type (e.g., shelter access), accessibility (e.g., language), and type of authoring agency (e.g., law enforcement). General DV resources such as hotline/referral services were more prevalent than content related to specific needs such as child custody. States provide substantially more information on immediate emergency needs, which are actually met at the local level, than on intermediate or long‐term support. Accessibility was hampered by both cognitive concerns (e.g., English‐only sites) and affective concerns (e.g., a tone which focused on data transmission rather than on information use). Legal/law enforcement agencies rather than social service or medical agencies consistently provided the most information as well as the largest numbers of connections to other sites, both within and beyond the state government site.