Health status of women affected by homelessness: A cluster of in concreto human rights violations and a time for action. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grammatikopoulou, Maria G.; Gkiouras, Konstantinos; Pepa, Aleks; Persynaki, Angeliki; Taousani, Eleftheria; Milapidou, Maria; Smyrnakis, Emmanouil; Goulis, Dimitrios G.
• Is Part Of: Maturitas. Volume 154(2021)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 45
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Water security -- Stress -- Food insecurity -- Reproductive health -- Aging -- Mental health -- COVID-19 -- Drug abuse -- Food waste -- Well-being -- Sustainability; Climacteric -- Periodicals; Menopause -- Periodicals; Climacteric -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Menopause -- Periodicals; Middle Aged -- Periodicals; Climatère -- Périodiques; Ménopause -- Périodiques; Climacterium; Climacteric; Menopause; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 612.66
• DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.09.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-5122

Abstract

Highlights: Women experiencing homelessness are an understudied population with severely impacted physical and mental health. They experience a variety of communicable and non-communicable diseases, most of which are undertreated. Environmental factors, violence and poor hygiene are associated with poor mental health, infections, accelerated aging and decreased life span. Main nutritional concerns include food insecurity, hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition. Apart from the rights to housing and work, the rights to health, reproduction, water, and food security are violated in women experiencing homelessness. Abstract: Health problems of women experiencing homelessness are driven either from the usual background characteristics of this population, or from the homeless lifestyle. Apart from poverty and unemployment, transition to homelessness is often associated with substance abuse, history of victimization, stress, poor mental health and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Water insecurity can undermine bodily hygiene and dental health, posing a greater risk of dehydration and opportunistic infections. Exposure to extreme environmental conditions like heat waves and natural disasters increases morbidity, accelerates aging, and reduces life expectancy. Nutrition-wise, a high prevalence of food insecurity, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies are apparent due to low diet quality and food waste. Poor hygiene, violence, and overcrowding increase the susceptibility of these women to communicable diseases, including sexually transmitted ones and COVID-19. Furthermore, established cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus are often either undertreated or neglected, and their complications are more widespread than in the general population. In addition, lack of medical screening and contraception non-use induce a variety of reproductive health issues. All these health conditions are tightly related to violations of human rights in this population, including the rights to housing, water, food, reproduction, health, work, and no discrimination. Thus, the care provided to women experiencing homelessness should be optimized at a multidimensional level, spanning beyond the provision of a warm bed, to include access to clean water and sanitation, psychological support and stress-coping strategies, disease management and acute health care, food of adequate quality, opportunities for employment and support for any minor dependants.