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. 2022 Mar 27;19(7):3976.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19073976.

A Citizen Science Approach to Identifying Indoor Environmental Barriers to Optimal Health for under 5s Experiencing Homelessness in Temporary Accommodation

Diana Margot Rosenthal  1   2 , Marcella Ucci  3 , Michelle Heys  1   4 , Antoinette Schoenthaler  5 , Monica Lakhanpaul  1   6 , Andrew Hayward  2   7 , Celine Lewis  1   8
Affiliations

A Citizen Science Approach to Identifying Indoor Environmental Barriers to Optimal Health for under 5s Experiencing Homelessness in Temporary Accommodation

Diana Margot Rosenthal et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The first five years of life are critical for optimal growth, health, and cognitive development. Adverse childhood experiences, including experiencing homelessness, can be a risk factor for multiple health issues and developmental challenges. There is a dearth of data collected with and by families with children under age five living in temporary accommodation due to experiencing homelessness (U5TA) describing indoor environmental barriers that prevent U5TA from achieving and maintaining optimal health. The aim of this study was to address this current gap using a citizen science approach. Fifteen participants, who were mothers of U5TA living in a deprived area of London, and the lead researcher collected data in late 2019/early 2020 using: (I) a housing survey conducted via a mobile app; (II) house visits; and (III) collaborative meetings. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Key themes included: overcrowding/shared facilities, dampness/mold growth, poor/inadequate kitchen/toilet facilities, infestations/vermin, structural problems/disrepair, unsafe electrics, excessively cold temperatures, and unsafe surfaces that risk causing trips/falls, with all participants experiencing multiple concurrent indoor environmental barriers. The citizen science approach was successfully used to collect meaningful data demonstrating the need for child-centered housing policies meeting the needs of current and future generations of families living in TA.

Keywords: child homelessness; citizen science; family homelessness; inclusion health; indoor environmental quality; inequalities; inequities; public health; temporary accommodation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Surveys.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Methodological triangulation in study design.
Figure 2
Figure 2
“That’s the space for my baby to crawl.”—Participant.Survey15.
Figure 3
Figure 3
“Mould everywhere.”—Participant.Survey10.
Figure 4
Figure 4
“Mould in the curtains.”—Participant.Survey10.
Figure 5
Figure 5
House visit where Participant.Survey11 reported “Damp a wall” [sic].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Word cloud of optional accommodation descriptions.
Figure 7
Figure 7
“Broken fridge”—Participant.Survey1.
Figure 8
Figure 8
“Broken oven”—Participant.Survey1.
Figure 9
Figure 9
House visit.
Figure 10
Figure 10
“Cockroach”—Participant.Survey11.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Participant.Survey13.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Participant.Survey1.
Figure 13
Figure 13
(a) House visit. (b) House visit.
Figure 14
Figure 14
House visit.
Figure 15
Figure 15
House visit.
Figure 16
Figure 16
“Broken windows and humidity”—Participant.Survey10.
Figure 17
Figure 17
House visit.
Figure 18
Figure 18
House visit.
Figure 19
Figure 19
“Broken boiler. The boiler is not working”. Participant.Survey10.
Figure 20
Figure 20
Participant.Survey10.
Figure 21
Figure 21
House visit.
Figure 22
Figure 22
House visit.
Figure 23
Figure 23
“The staircase leading into my apartment.”—Participant.Survey15.
Figure 24
Figure 24
House visit.
Figure 25
Figure 25
House visit.
Figure 26
Figure 26
Participant.Survey12.
Figure 27
Figure 27
Participant.Survey10.
Figure 28
Figure 28
House visit.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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