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The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 18510

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mzwandile Andi Mabhala

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Guest Editor

Department of Public Health and Wellbeing, Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of Chester, Riverside Campus, Chester CH1 1SL, UK
Interests: public health issues of social justice; socio-economic determinants of inequalities in health; marginalised population groups; homeless people; users of new psychoactive substances (‘NPS’); the determinants of students’ health; food banks

Dr. Rafael Van Den Bergh

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Guest Editor

Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Interests: mental health; migration; victims of violence; health inequity; social vulnerability; environmental health;

Prof. June Keeling

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Guest Editor

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Keele, United Kingdom
Interests: women’s health; gender-based violence; trafficking; prostitution; gender-based inequalities; social justice; socio-economic determinants of inequalities in health;;marginalized population groups

Prof. John Middleton

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Guest Editor

UK Faculty of Public Health, London, United Kingdom
Interests: environmental health; sustainable development; evidence-based interventions in social policy; health inequalities; violence prevention.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases and psychosocial distress is higher among the poor, discriminated and marginalised. Some authors have attributed this to the failure of society, social policies and social institutions to tackle the uneven distribution of social goods and power, as well as socioeconomic discrimination against the marginalised. Others assert that social discrimination and lack of opportunities increase the vulnerability to maladaptive behaviours such as unhealthy relationships with food, tobacco smoking, drugs and alcohol dependence. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight pioneering research that explores the understanding of and response to the inequalities experienced by socially disadvantaged and marginalised communities. This includes but is not limited to the homeless; ethnic minorities; migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S); substance misusers; as well as survivors of gender-based violence and of torture and ill-treatment.

This Special Issue invites researchers of any discipline who focus on social justice and socioeconomic and health inequalities in socially disadvantaged communities, including but not limited to social science, public health, anthropology, law and medicine, to submit their work.

Prof. Andi Mabhala
Dr. Rafael Van Den Bergh
Prof. June Keeling
Prof. John Middleton
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Social determinants of health
Social justice
Migration
Displacement
Ethnic minorities
Poverty
Homelessness
Vulnerable groups
Health inequalities
Mental health
Psychosocial health
Social indicators
Socio-legal support
Public health
Epidemiology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 934 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Development of Poverty in EU Countries

by Agnieszka Sompolska-Rzechuła and Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 3950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073950 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2160

Abstract

The aim of the article is to assess of development of poverty in EU countries in 2010 and 2019. The study used the model method of the linear ordering of objects—TOPSIS, considering the distance of each object from both the pattern and the non-pattern development. The originality of the work consists in the use of primary data obtained from the Eurostat database and the winsorized data that were created on the basis of outliers. The indicators characterizing the first goal of sustainable development—“No poverty” were used. The results of the research indicate that the inhabitants of western Europe and Scandinavia are less affected by poverty than the population of eastern and southern Europe. The division of countries according to the scale of poverty is reflected in the level of GDP per capita. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours)

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14 pages, 848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perceived Social Support Attenuates the Association between Stress and Health-Related Quality of Life among Adults Experiencing Homelessness

by Midhat Z. Jafry, Jayda Martinez, Tzuan A. Chen, Michael S. Businelle, Darla E. Kendzor and Lorraine R. Reitzel

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10713; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010713 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2798

Abstract

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is defined as a multidimensional subjective assessment of one’s physical and mental health. Homelessness is associated with numerous stressors that can reduce HRQoL. Social support is defined as the availability of individuals, or resources provided by individuals, to cope with stress. Interpersonal social support may be important in buffering HRQoL from the negative implications of stress. Here, we examine this association in a marginalized group known for high rates of physical and mental health comorbidities: adults experiencing homelessness. Participants (N = 581; 63.7% men; M_age = 43.6 ± 12.2) were recruited from homeless-serving agencies in Oklahoma City. Social support was measured with the 12-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). HRQoL was measured by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey using self-rated health, the number of poor mental and poor physical health days over the preceding 30 days, as well as the number of limited activity days as the result of poor mental and/or physical health. Perceived stress was assessed using the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The potential moderation effect of social support was examined by assessing the interaction term of social support and stress in a series of linear regression analyses, controlling for sex, age, months homeless, race, education, health insurance status, serious mental illness diagnosis, and recruitment agency/site. There was a significant interaction effect of social support and stress on the prediction of days of poor physical health, days of poor mental health, and days of limited activity (p in all cases ≤ 0.05). Results add to a growing literature on the potentially protective benefits of social support for HRQoL, extend them to a large sample of adults experiencing homelessness in the South, and demonstrate the significance of this moderating effect of social support over and above the influence of several prominent sociodemographic and diagnostic variables. Future work should determine if interventions designed to enhance social support can buffer HRQoL from the deleterious effects of stress among this vulnerable population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours)

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14 pages, 504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Mzwandile Mabhala, Winifred Adaobi Esealuka, Amanda Nkolika Nwufo, Chinwe Enyinna, Chelsea Nonkosi Mabhala, Treasure Udechukwu, John Reid and Asmait Yohannes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3066; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063066 - 16 Mar 2021

Viewed by 4853

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours)

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20 pages, 1048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indigenous Peoples, Exclusion and Precarious Work: Design of Strategies to Address Poverty in Indigenous and Peasant Populations in Ecuador through the SWOT-AHP Methodology

by Jorge E. García Guerrero, Ramón Rueda López, Arturo Luque González and Nuria Ceular-Villamandos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020570 - 12 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4419

Abstract

This research analysed the options that, following decent employment and the social economy, can allow the human development of poor, excluded and vulnerable indigenous populations in Ecuador. A set of strategies were developed which can be implemented by public authorities and by community organisations. They were designed from two types of expert consultations: the Delphi method and the analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process method (AHP) for hierarchizing the criteria collected and obtaining strategies. The proposed strategies are as follows: adopting appropriate legal frameworks, respecting peoples’ rights, better distribution of public resources, implementing monitoring systems, developing solidarity markets and recognizing the participation of the poor as a subject of rights. This investigation revealed differences between the state, which identifies the poor with monetary indicators, and the indigenous peoples, who see it as the lack of community links, by conceiving the poor as a beneficiary of official assistance, despite the fact that a strong community and peasant organisation could be used. The value of an economy based on reciprocity and confidence was also recognized, identifying niches of production and consumption to create partnerships and ensure the participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours)

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12 pages, 630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of eHealth Use, Literacy, Informational Social Support, and Health-Promoting Behaviors: Mediation of Health Self-Efficacy

by MoonKi Choi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 7890; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217890 - 28 Oct 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3368

Abstract

This descriptive, cross-sectional study identified the association of eHealth use, literacy, informational support, and health-promoting behaviors among older adults, as mediated by health self-efficacy. Convenience sampling was conducted at senior welfare centers in Chuncheon, in the Republic of Korea. Data analysis was performed using Pearson’s correlation and via path analyses. The findings showed that eHealth use had an indirect effect on health-promoting behaviors, as mediated by self-efficacy. Informational support was indirectly mediated by self-efficacy and had direct effects upon health-promoting behaviors. eHealth can facilitate self-efficacy and health management, despite not having direct effects upon health-promoting behaviors themselves. Thus, older adults need to be prepared for the increased use of eHealth. In addition, healthcare professionals should support older people in their use of eHealth and encourage informational support through comprehensive interventions so as to facilitate self-efficacy and health behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Injustices: Social Determinants of Vulnerability to Unhealthy Behaviours)

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