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Homelessness Is Socially Created: Cluster Analysis of Social Determinants of Homelessness (SODH) in North West England in 2020

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  • Mzwandile Mabhala

    (Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK)

  • Winifred Adaobi Esealuka

    (Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK)

  • Amanda Nkolika Nwufo

    (Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK)

  • Chinwe Enyinna

    (Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK)

  • Chelsea Nonkosi Mabhala

    (Faculty of Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK)

  • Treasure Udechukwu

    (École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, 93 210 Paris, France)

  • John Reid

    (Faculty of Health and Social Care, Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of CHESTER, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK)

  • Asmait Yohannes

    (Asmait Skincare and Design, Stamford, CT 06902, USA)

Abstract

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

Suggested Citation

  • Mzwandile Mabhala & Winifred Adaobi Esealuka & Amanda Nkolika Nwufo & Chinwe Enyinna & Chelsea Nonkosi Mabhala & Treasure Udechukwu & John Reid & Asmait Yohannes, 2021. "Homelessness Is Socially Created: Cluster Analysis of Social Determinants of Homelessness (SODH) in North West England in 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:3066-:d:518049
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    References listed on IDEAS

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