Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristic | Prevalence % (n) * |
---|---|
Gender and race/ethnicity | |
Female | 56.0 (108) |
Black | 41.8 (81) |
Hispanic | 18.7 (36) |
Most frequent location for sleep in the last week * | |
Homeless shelter | 53.6 (104) |
Street/outdoors | 7.2 (14) |
Supportive or transitional housing | 11.3 (22) |
With a friend or family member | 13.9 (27) |
Housing without support services | 8.8 (17) |
Self-reported behaviors | |
Injection drug use in last year | 27.8 (54) |
Heavy drinker + | 15.5 (30) |
Housed in the past 30 days * | |
Homeless shelter | 53.6 (104) |
Street/outdoors | 7.2 (14) |
Doubled up | 13.9 (27) |
Supportive Housing | 8.8 (17) |
Housing with no support | 8.8 (17) |
Transitional/Treatment program | 2.6 (5) |
Frequency of showers (in last week) | |
Daily | 71.7 (139) |
Not daily | 28.4 (55) |
Most common location of shower | |
Shelter | 59.0 (112) |
Friends/family | 20 (38) |
Other homeless service provider | 20 (38) |
Hand washing (daily frequency) | |
≥5 times | 60.8 (118) |
<5 times | 39.2 (76) |
Hand sanitizer used in the last week (yes) | 89.2 (173) |
Clothes/bedding sharing (yes) | 28.4 (55) |
Laundry frequency (per month) | |
Never | 4.6 (9) |
1–2 times | 63.4 (123) |
3–5 times | 23.2 (45) |
≥6 times | 8.8 (17) |
Laundry method | |
Laundromat | 41.8 (81) |
Shelter washing machine | 22.2 (43) |
Sink with soap | 8.8 (17) |
Sink without soap | 5.2 (10) |
Washing machine at home of family or friend | 22.2 (43) |
Hygiene Outcomes | Odds Ratio # (95% CI); p-Value | ||
---|---|---|---|
Heavy Drinking | Sleeping Outdoors | Injection Drug Use | |
Not showering daily | 5.2 (2.3, 11.7); p < 0.001 * | 3.2 (1.1, 9.3); p = 0.03 * | 1.8 (0.9, 3.5); p = 0.10 |
Infrequent hand washing | 1.0 (0.5, 2.3); p = 0.90 | 2.5 (0.9, 7.4); p = 0.09 | 2.8 (1.5, 5.5); p = 0.001 * |
Sharing clothing or bedding | 1.3 (0.6, 3.0); p = 0.50 | 3.2 (1.1, 9.3); p = 0.03 * | 2.5 (1.3, 4.9); p = 0.007 * |
Laundering using only sink | 2.2 (0.8, 5.8); p = 0.11 | 0.9 (0.2, 4.4); p = 0.90 | 2.4 (1.0, 5.5); p = 0.04 * |
Low hygiene (aggregate index variable) ^ | 1.4 (1.0, 1.9); p = 0.05 * | 1.7 (1.1, 2.5); p = 0.01 * | 1.4 (1.1, 1.8); p = 0.01 * |
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Leibler, J.H.; Nguyen, D.D.; León, C.; Gaeta, J.M.; Perez, D. Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080928
Leibler JH, Nguyen DD, León C, Gaeta JM, Perez D. Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2017; 14(8):928. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080928
Chicago/Turabian StyleLeibler, Jessica H., Daniel D. Nguyen, Casey León, Jessie M. Gaeta, and Debora Perez. 2017. "Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14, no. 8: 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080928
APA StyleLeibler, J. H., Nguyen, D. D., León, C., Gaeta, J. M., & Perez, D. (2017). Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080928