Social conditions of becoming homelessness: qualitative analysis of life stories of homeless peoples

Background It is increasingly acknowledged that homelessness is a more complex social and public health phenomenon than the absence of a place to live. This view signifies a paradigm shift, from the definition of homelessness in terms of the absence of permanent accommodation, with its focus on pathways out of homelessness through the acquisition and maintenance of permanent housing, to understanding the social context of homelessness and social interventions to prevent it. However, despite evidence of the association between homelessness and social factors, there is very little research that examines the wider social context within which homelessness occurs from the perspective of homeless people themselves. This study aims to examine the stories of homeless people to gain understanding of the social conditions under which homelessness occurs, in order to propose a theoretical explanation for it. Method Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with homeless people in three centres for homeless people in Cheshire North West of England. Results The analysis revealed that becoming homeless is a process characterised by a progressive waning of resilience capacity to cope with life challenges created by series of adverse incidents in one’s life. The data show that final stage in the process of becoming homeless is complete collapse of relationships with those close to them. Most prominent pattern of behaviours participants often describe as main causes of breakdown of their relationships are: 1. engaging in maladaptive behavioural lifestyle including taking drugs and/or excessive alcohol drinking 2. Being in trouble with people in authorities. Conclusion Homeless people describe the immediate behavioural causes of homelessness, however, the analysis revealed the social and economic conditions within which homelessness occurred. The participants’ descriptions of the social conditions in which were raised and their references to maladaptive behaviours which led to them becoming homeless, led us to conclude that they believe that their social condition affected their life chances: that these conditions were responsible for their low quality of social connections, poor educational attainment, insecure employment and other reduced life opportunities available to them

Protecting noncommunicable disease prevention policy in trade and investment agreements

Preventing noncommunicable diseases is a global priority, for which the World Health Organization has recommended policies to reduce the consumption of tobacco products, alcohol and unhealthy foods. However, regulation has been strongly opposed by affected industries, who have invoked the provisions of legally binding trade and investment agreements. The aim of this analysis of the legal, economic and public health literature was to present a short primer on the relationship between noncommunicable disease prevention policy and trade and investment agreements to help public health policy-makers safeguard public health policies. The analysis identified opportunities for protecting, and even promoting, public health in trade and investment agreements, including: (i) ensuring exceptions for public health measures are included in agreements; (ii) committing to good regulatory practice that balances transparency and cooperation with the need for governments to limit the influence of vested interests; (iii) ensuring trade and investment agreement preambles acknowledge the importance of public health; (iv) excluding investor–state dispute settlement mechanisms from agreements; and (v) limiting the scope and definition of key provisions on investor protection to reduce the risk of investment disputes. This synthesis of the multidisciplinary literature also provides support for greater strategic and informed engagement between the health and trade policy sectors. In addition, ensuring a high level of health protection in trade and investment agreements requires cooperation between disciplines, engagement with experts in law, economics and public health policy, and fully transparent policy processes and governance structures

Determinants of Homelessness (SODH) in North West England in 2020

From Oxford University Press via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: cover 2022-10-01, collection 2022-10-21, epub 2022-10-25Publication status: PublishedBackground: Poverty creates social conditions that increase the likelihood of homelessness. These include exposure to traumatic life experiences; social disadvantages such as poor educational experiences; being raised in a broken family, care homes or foster care; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; and neglect at an early age. These conditions reduce people's ability to negotiate through life challenges. Methods: This cross-sectional study documents the clustering and frequency of adverse social conditions among 152 homeless people from four cities in North West England between January and August 2020. Results: Two-step cluster analysis showed that having parents with a criminal record, care history, and child neglect/abuse history was predictive of homelessness. The cluster of indicator variables among homeless people included sexual abuse (χ2 (N = 152) = 220.684, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), inappropriate sexual behaviour (χ2 (N = 152) = 207.737, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), emotional neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 181.671, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), physical abuse by step-parent (χ2 (N = 152) = 195.882, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.8), and physical neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 205.632, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.8). Conclusions: Poverty and homelessness are intertwined because of the high prevalence of poverty among the homeless. Poverty sets up a chain of interactions between social conditions that increase the likelihood of unfavourable outcomes: homelessness is at the end of the interaction chain. Interventions supporting families to rise out of poverty may also reduce entry into homelessness. Key messages: Being poor is associated with so many childhood adversities that it may be considered an ACE in itself. Reducing poverty might be one strategy to reduce both ACEs and homelessness

Determinants of Homelessness (SODH) in North West England in 2020

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: issued 2022-10-01, ppub 2022-10-21, epub 2022-10-25Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedBackground Poverty creates social conditions that increase the likelihood of homelessness. These include exposure to traumatic life experiences; social disadvantages such as poor educational experiences; being raised in a broken family, care homes or foster care; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; and neglect at an early age. These conditions reduce people's ability to negotiate through life challenges. Methods This cross-sectional study documents the clustering and frequency of adverse social conditions among 152 homeless people from four cities in North West England between January and August 2020. Results Two-step cluster analysis showed that having parents with a criminal record, care history, and child neglect/abuse history was predictive of homelessness. The cluster of indicator variables among homeless people included sexual abuse (χ2 (N = 152) = 220.684, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), inappropriate sexual behaviour (χ2 (N = 152) = 207.737, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), emotional neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 181.671, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.7), physical abuse by step-parent (χ2 (N = 152) = 195.882, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.8), and physical neglect (χ2 (N = 152) = 205.632, p &amp;lt; 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.8). Conclusions Poverty and homelessness are intertwined because of the high prevalence of poverty among the homeless. Poverty sets up a chain of interactions between social conditions that increase the likelihood of unfavourable outcomes: homelessness is at the end of the interaction chain. Interventions supporting families to rise out of poverty may also reduce entry into homelessness. Key message

Being homeless in an unequal society: A qualitative analysis of stories of homeless people

From Crossref via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2018-11-01, issued 2018-11-01, epub 2018-11-21Article version: Vo

The clusters and frequencies of adverse social conditions amongst the homeless people

From Crossref via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2019-11-01, issued 2019-11-01, epub 2019-11-13Article version: VoRAbstract Background A growing body of evidence identifies interconnected social indicators that can lead to homelessness. Several studies identify a catalogue of social disadvantages that starts from childhood and persist throughout the life course that leads to homelessness. Qualitative evidence indicates that their adverse childhood experiences(ACEs) and damage that occurred to them as children had major influences on their ability to negotiate their way through the education system, gain and sustain employment, make appropriate choices of social networks, and form and maintain healthy relationships as adults. However, very little research seeks to objectively investigate these issues. This study aims to use the cross-sectional study to document the cluster and frequency of adverse social conditions amongst the homeless people in North West England in 2019. Methods The study design was cross-sectional. We used IBM SPSS 21, with a significance level set at p &amp;lt; 0.05, CI 95% to analyse the data. Results The mean age was 39.12, range 21-64, 90.5% male. 52%(χ2= 33.4, df = 1, p = 0.001) described their health as poor, 90% (χ2= 61.85, df = 2, p = 0.001) smoked cigarette daily, 83.3% (χ2= 76.4, df = 3, p = 0.001) used drugs daily, 78.6% (χ2= 13.7, df = 1, p = 0.001) saw a doctor in preceding 6 months, 63.4% (χ2= 73.8, df = 3, p = 0.001) left school before age 16; 26.2% (χ2= 37.7, df = 3, p = 0.001) left school at 16, 11.9% (χ2= 33.1, df = 10, p = 0.001) encounterd criminal justice system at the age of 11, 28.6% (χ2= 60.8, df = 8, p = 0.001) had reprimand/caution or conviction at 17. ACES: 57% (χ2= 34.7, df = 3, p = 0.001) experienced humiliation by adults in their household; 54% (χ2= 30.7, df = 3, p = 0.001) threatening behaviour, 50% (χ2= 26.0, df = 3, p = 0.001) physical violence in their household. Conclusions These early stage preliminary results indicate that adverse social circumstances that occur in childhood are disproportionately represented in homeless population. Key messages Homelessness is more complex than the absence of accomodation. Adverse social circumstances that occur in childhood are disproportionately represented in homeless population

Retention and sustained viral suppression in HIV patients transferred to community refill centres in Kinshasa, DRC.

From PubMed via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2019-10-22, accepted 2019-12-16Publication status: ppublishIn 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières set up decentralised community antiretroviral therapy (ART) refill centres (" ", PODI) for the follow-up of stable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. To assess retention in care and sustained viral suppression after transfer to three main PODI in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (PODI Barumbu/Central, PODI Binza Ozone/West and PODI Masina I/East). Retrospective cohort study using routine programme data for adult HIV patients transferred from Kabinda Hospital to PODIs between January 2015 and June 2017. A total of 337 patients were transferred to PODIs: 306 (91%) were on ART for at least 12 months; 118 (39%) had a routine "12-month" viral load (VL) done, 93% ( 110) of whom had a suppressed VL <1000 copies/ml. Median time from enrolment into PODI to 12-month routine VL was 14.6 months (IQR 12.2-20.8). Kaplan-Meier estimates of retention in care at 6, 12 and 18 months after enrolment into PODIs were respectively 96%, 92% and 88%. Retention in care and viral suppression among patients in PODI with VL results were better than patients in clinic care and national outcomes. [Abstract copyright: © 2020 The Union.

Including public health considerations in trade and investment agreements

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2020-09-01, issued 2020-09-01, epub 2020-09-30Article version: VoRAbstract There is widespread recognition that trade and investment agreements (TIAs) can affect health services, access to medicines, NCD prevention (particularly related to tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food) and health systems structures. In addition, these binding international economic agreements can constrain the policy space available for innovative, evidence-based health policymaking. Although TIAs can have positive outcomes for employment and economic growth, these benefits are only likely to accrue when governments are pro-active in implementing complementary policies to mitigate impacts on other sectors and to address potential inequalities arising. The aim of this panel session is to examine the ways in which TIAs can be designed to achieve economic goals while also protecting public health, and identify complementary policy measures that may be needed as well as strategies for strategic policy engagement. This panel will be hosted by the UK-PRP PETRA Network (Prevention of noncommunicable disease using trade agreements). The UK will be negotiating a range of new TIAs over the coming years, representing a window of opportunity for strategic engagement with policymakers regarding how public health can be protected and promoted within these agreements. There is an emerging global body of evidence regarding how consideration of health can be integrated into TIAs, both textually and through strategic engagement with policymakers before and during the negotiation phase. Experience to date indicates common global challenges and opportunities for health and trade, as well as significant potential for cross country learning regarding trade and health. The panel discussion will use the UK experience as a springboard to address these global issues

Cost of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in Europe and the USA: The GAIN study.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) leads to cirrhosis and is associated with a substantial socioeconomic burden, which, coupled with rising prevalence, is a growing public health challenge. However, there are few real-world data available describing the impact of NASH. The Global Assessment of the Impact of NASH (GAIN) study is a prevalence-based burden of illness study across Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) and the USA. Physicians provided demographic, clinical, and economic patient information via an online survey. In total, 3,754 patients found to have NASH on liver biopsy were stratified by fibrosis score and by biomarkers as either early or advanced fibrosis. Per-patient costs were estimated using national unit price data and extrapolated to the population level to calculate the economic burden. Of the patients, 767 (20%) provided information on indirect costs and health-related quality of life using the EuroQOL 5-D (EQ-5D; n = 749) and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire - Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (CLDQ-NAFLD) (n = 723). Mean EQ-5D and CLDQ-NAFLD index scores were 0.75 and 4.9, respectively. For 2018, the mean total annual per patient cost of NASH was €2,763, €4,917, and €5,509 for direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs, respectively. National per-patient cost was highest in the USA and lowest in France. Costs increased with fibrosis and decompensation, driven by hospitalisation and comorbidities. Indirect costs were driven by work loss. The GAIN study provides real-world data on the direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs associated with NASH, including patient-reported outcomes in Europe and the USA, showing a substantial burden on health services and individuals. There has been little research into the socioeconomic burden associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The GAIN study provides real-world data on the direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs associated with NASH, including patient-reported outcomes in five European countries (UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy) and the USA. Mean total annual per patient cost of NASH was estimated at €2,763, €4,917, and €5,509 for the direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect cost categories, respectively. [Abstract copyright: © 2020 The Author(s).