Overcrowding with Poor Housing Conditions: Health Aspect
Human health is an aspect that may be determined by such social problems as poor housing or overcrowding and promote the development of such problems as respiratory, chest, or ear infections, skin damage, and childhood illnesses. Housing conditions and human health are the two interrelated issues that cannot be neglected in the discussion of public health. Andersen, Williamson, Fernando, Redman, and Vincent (2016) explain this relationship using the example of poor functional conditions like mold or damp and the growth of the population with asthma and other poor respiratory conditions.
Bailie, Stevens, and McDonald (2011) investigate the necessity to create numerous interventions to improve health from social, environmental, and economic perspectives. Child growth and health depend on the possibility to improve housing and avoid pollutants or other threats at home. Though it is hard for society and the government to control the conditions under which families and students have to live, these communities may take certain steps to avoid overcrowding and observe all the cases of mold or air pollutants.
The results of the investigation developed by Polyzois, Polyzoi, Wells, and Koulis (2016) show that families with reported mold are more like to suffer from colds and have asthmatic children. Overcrowding and poor housing hurt children and their families, leading to the inability to be treated properly and fast.
Poor Housing Condition and Psychological Issues
Nowadays, it is hard for many families to meet their basic needs, including living conditions, and, as a result, lower psychological well-being of the population can be observed. The main psychological issues include worsened mental health, depression, and even criminal activities. Jones-Rounds, Evans, and Braubach (2014) investigate the impact of housing and neighborhood quality and prove that such aspects as high-rise flats, a lack of resources, and poor social support are the causes of why psychological well-being may suffer.
Vandivere et al. (2006) explain psychological problems caused by overcrowding and negative neighborhood due to the inability to control personal actions and lost self-efficacy that may lead to the increased cases of vandalism, crimes, and bad habits. Psychological challenges may have a form of different disorders, including sleep deprivation, mood disturbance, and regular mood swings. In temporary accommodations, approximately 50% of children are exposed to such psychological problems (Friedman, 2010).
However, low self-esteem and negative social impact are not the only psychological concerns among children and students. As a rule, as soon a child faces one housing problem, there is a chance to be threatened by other risky circumstances (Vandivere et al., 2006). Therefore, children who have to live under poor housing and overcrowding conditions have to be ready to take care of personal lives and think about the conditions that they can choose with time. The negative experience of their parents should never predetermine their future and psychology and decrease their options.
References
Andersen, M. J., Williamson, A. B., Fernando, P., Redman, S., & Vincent, F. (2016). “There’s a housing crisis going on in Sydney for Aboriginal people”: Focus group accounts of housing and perceived associations with health. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 429-438.
Bailie, R. S., Stevens, M., & McDonald, E. L. (2011). The impact of housing improvement and socio-environmental factors on common childhood illnesses: A cohort study in Indigenous Australian communities. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 66, 821-831. Web.
Friedman, D. (2010). Social impact of poor housing. Web.
Jones-Rounds, M. L., Evans, G. W., & Braubach, M. (2014). The interactive effects of housing and neighbourhood quality on psychological well-being. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 68(2), 171-175.
Polyzois, D., Polyzoi, E., Wells, J. A., & Koulis, T. (2016). Poor indoor air quality, mold exposure, and upper respiratory tract infections – Are we placing our children at risk? Journal of Environmental Health, 78(7), 20-27.
Vandivere, S., Hair, E. C., Theokas, C., Cleveland, K., McNamara, M., Atienza, A., & Vandivere, S. (2006). How housing affects child well-being. Web.