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Predicted probabilities (and confidence intervals) of the association between household crowding (Inuit health in transition Greenland survey, 2005-2010)
Source publication
Objectives:
Poor housing conditions experienced by many Indigenous peoples threaten their health and well-being. This study examines whether household crowding is associated with poorer psychosocial health among Greenlanders, and the mediating role of social support. It also assesses whether Inuit men and women are differently influenced by their...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... of associations between psychosocial health out- comes and household crowding and composition, for the full sample and adjusted for individual characteristics (but not social support), are presented in Table 2. Predicted probabilities (and confidence intervals) for these outcomes by increasing values of PPR are plotted in Fig. 1. Increasing levels of crowding are significantly associated with higher odds of reporting feeling depressed. Con- versely, higher crowding is significantly associated with lower odds of binge drinking. Considering the composition of the household offers some explanations for the counterintuitive association observed between household crowding and binge drinking. Compared to households composed of adults and children, the risk of reporting binge drinking is significantly higher in adult-only households. Respondents living in households with two or more cohabiting adults without children have almost twice the risk of reporting binge drinking compared to those living with children. Household crowding and composition were not significantly associated with feeling anxious. Replicating these analyses on a subsample with only one respondent per household yielded similar results (''Appendix ...
Citations
... Finally, no significant association has been found between physical activity or household crowding index and mindfulness in our study. Various studies explained the association between these two variables and mindfulness (Riva et al. 2014;Schneider et al. 2019). However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have used FMI to explain these associations, thus, further studies using the FMI are needed. ...
Interests in including mindfulness techniques in medical and psychological fields have been increasing recently. Accordingly, it is important to validate the short form of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-14) to help professionals living in Arabic speaking countries. Thus, we aimed to validate the FMI-14 in the Arabic language (FMI-Ar) in Arabic-speaking university students from Lebanon. We carried-out a cross-sectional study between July and September 2021; 363 university students (mean age 22.65 ± 3.48 years, 61.7% females) were enrolled. The McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha values for the total score were excellent (0.92 for both). Confirmatory factor analysis of the one-factor model of the FMI-Ar showed satisfactory fit indices: χ 2 /df = 218.33/77 = 2.83, RMSEA = 0.071 [0.060-0.082], CFI = 0.92, and TLI = 0.90. Additionally, the FMI score was negatively associated with depression (r =-0.51; p = 0.001) and anxiety (r =-0.48; p < 0.001). All hypotheses (factor, convergent, and divergent validity) related to the FMI-Ar were verified in our study. Therefore, professionals can now benefit from the FMI-Ar, a suitable scale to measure mindfulness among Lebanese University students.
... Not only children are seen to be affected by crowded environments but also adults are at a greater risk of reporting adverse health outcomes and mental health issues. Several studies have highlighted the increase likelihood of psychological distress, alcohol abuse and feeling depressed about one's health amongst participants living in crowded households (Riva, Larsen & Bjerregaard, 2014;Al-Hemiary, Hashim, Al-Diwan & Razzaq). In recently arrived adult migrants it was observed that living in crowded situations increased the risk for mental health illness which became less once they shifted in proper homes (Mangrio & Zdravkovic,2018). ...
Objective: This manuscript tries to report the effect of crowing on children's and adults' well-being. Crowding is a social phenomenon where living conditions have also shown worsening effects on a child's adequate development and execution of behavior. Further, crowding also has a worsening effect on individual working and family space and happiness. Theoretical framework: To present the complete and comprehensive approach to the effects of crowding, theoretical descriptions were presented from international scientific publications, reports, and empirical studies. The manuscript presents the recent development in crowing over the last few years. Methodology: Very little research has been directed to investigate the impact of crowding as a social phenomenon on children's and adults' well-being. It is important to understand the markers related to crowding which may affect individual happiness and child development. Therefore, this narrative review serves as a tool to investigate different aspects of crowding. Mainly the articles from the years 2000 to 2023 have been included from the various scientific platforms that have relevance to the proposed topic. Results and conclusion: Crowding affects family life and may negatively impact the bonding between parents and children, especially during the pandemic. Crowding has important aspects of social inequality which have been neglected mainly by underdeveloped or overpopulated cities or countries. These poor living conditions may also serve as the main problem associated with neurological and emotional well-being in all types of problems resulting in emotional and personality issues. These negative effects may also impact children and adults neurological and professional incompetencies may serve longitudinal consequences mainly for socioeconomic status. The main reason could be understood as lower-income group individuals live in small houses, which could compromise their individual space, and personal and professional lives in various ways. The chapter aims to define all the above-mentioned areas with some suggestive strategies that may be beneficial in living in the new normal from the perspective of individual well-being and the formation of living law conditions in a country. Originality/value: The manuscript is a narrative review highlighting the importance of the social phenomenon crowding on an individual's social, personal and professional development. The manuscript also establishes the link between crowding and neurological phenomena from the perspective of adults' well-being and child development Further, children may also show negative and long-term consequences for residing in overcrowded home spaces and individual professional life may also be affected. The manuscript is essential to ensure and modify the government rules and ensure child and adult development from the perspective of interpersonal spaces.
... However, a second possibility is that the outcomes of childhood household crowding are different for men and women and the childhood household crowding increases only an already existing risk. For example, among Inuit in Greenland, Riva et al. found that living in more crowded dwelling was associated with greater odds of feeling depressed in women, while with binge drinking in men (Riva et al., 2014). Similarly, capitalizing on a multilevel analysis from a survey in Toronto, Regoeczi reports different outcomes of crowding stress for women and for men. ...
Aims:
We aimed to investigate the association of household crowding in childhood with trajectories of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults.
Methods:
We studied 47,010 participants (56 % women, 63 years at baseline) from SHARE. Using multinomial logistic regression, we estimated odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the association of household crowding in childhood (number of household members/number of rooms at the age of 10) with trajectories of depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale), which were generated with growth mixture modeling. We adjusted for resources in childhood, sociodemographic and health-related characteristics in mid-life and older age and tested effect modification by sex.
Results:
We identified four trajectories of depressive symptoms: constantly low (n = 33,969), decreasing (n = 5595), increasing (n = 5574) and constantly high (n = 1872). When compared to the those with constantly low depressive symptoms and adjusting for all covariates, household crowding in childhood was associated with greater odds of constantly high (OR 1.12; 95 % CI 1.08-1.17), decreasing (OR 1.11; 95 % CI 1.07-1.15) and increasing (OR 1.09; 95 % CI 1.06-1.13) depressive symptoms. The associations were stronger in women than in men.
Conclusions:
Prevention of household crowding in childhood may ameliorate the development of constant as well as transient depressive symptoms during ageing. The effect can be stronger in women than in men.
... When researchers address the nexus of housing and well-being, material aspects of housing, such as housing type, size of living space, and physical quality, have been front and center. Crowding is a commonly cited risk factor for poor health and well-being, with the understanding that the size of living space is linked to individuals' social and psychological functioning, such as one's need for privacy, one's ability to withdraw from undesired social interactions, and one's sense of control (Riva et al., 2014;Ruiz-Tagle & Urria, 2022). Empirical evidence is inconclusive, however. ...
The loss of psychosocial well-being is an overlooked but monumental consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These effects result not only from the pandemic itself but, in a secondary way, from the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) made to curb the spread of disease. The unprecedented physical distancing and stay-at-home requirements and recommendations provide a unique window for housing researchers to better understand the mechanisms by which housing affects psychosocial well-being. This study draws on a survey conducted with over 2,000 residents of the neighbouring Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta in 2021. We propose a new multi-dimensional model to examine the relationships between the Material, Economic, Affordances, Neighbourhood, and Stability (MEANS) aspects of housing and psychosocial well-being. Our analysis reveals the direct and indirect pathways by which deficiencies in each of these areas had negative effects on psychosocial well-being. Residential stability, housing affordances, and neighbourhood accessibility exert stronger direct impacts on psychosocial well-being than material and economic housing indicators (e.g. size of living space and tenure). Notably, we find no significant well-being differences between different homeowners and renters when we account for other housing MEANS. These findings have important implications for housing policy across pandemic and post-pandemic contexts, suggesting a need for research and policy focus on understanding housing and well-being in terms of non-material aspects, such as residential stability and affordances that housing provides.
... Social relationships are critical to individual and community well-being for Inuit (Fletcher et al., 2022;Richmond, 2009). International studies and research carried out with Inuit have highlighted the negative impacts of overcrowding on mental health (Evans et al., 2003;Gray et al., 2016;Riva et al., 2014a) with the weakening of social support posited as one of the mechanisms explaining this association (Evans & Lepore, 1993;Wells & Harris, 2007;Riva et al., 2014b). The objective of this study is to examine the association between overcrowding and perceived social support for Inuit living in Nunavik (hereafter referred to as Nunavimmiut), a region where more than half of the population lives in overcrowded households (Statistics Canada, 2017). ...
... The negative consequences of overcrowding 1 on mental health have been demonstrated by several studies carried out among Inuit in the last decade. In a cross-sectional study, Riva et al. (2014aRiva et al. ( , 2014b showed that allostatic load-a biological marker of chronic stress-was higher for Nunavimmiut living in overcrowded households (defined as households with more than one person per room), independently of sociodemographic and economic covariates. While women's allostatic load was especially associated with overcrowding, analyses stratified by sex did not reveal significant association with overcrowding for men. ...
... Research suggests that the weakening of social support is one key mechanism through which overcrowding affects mental health (Evans & Lepore, 1993;Wells & Harris, 2007;Riva et al., 2014aRiva et al., , 2014b. The hypothesis is that overcrowding generates frequent unwanted interactions and tensions among household members, which, in turn, leads to selfisolation 2 . ...
Objectives:
Studies show that living in overcrowded households can contribute to the erosion of social support, which is an important factor in health and well-being. In this study, we examine the relationship between household crowding and social support for Inuit living in Nunavik (hereafter referred to as Nunavimmiut), a region where housing shortages are considered a serious public health problem. We assess whether overcrowding is associated with lower levels of perceived social support and whether this association varies by gender and age group.
Methods:
Cross-sectional data are from Qanuilirpitaa? the 2017 Nunavik Health Survey (N = 1306; aged 16 years and older). A perceived social support index was derived from answers to questions related to three different components of social support: positive interaction, emotional support, and love and affection. Associations between overcrowding (more than one person per room) and perceived social support were assessed using weighted linear and logistic regressions, adjusted for several factors. Sex- and age-stratified analyses were also conducted.
Results:
Nunavimmiut report significantly lower levels of social support when living in overcrowded households, independently of other covariates. Analyses stratified by sex and age further show that the detrimental association between overcrowding and perceived social support is higher and stronger for men and older adults (both men and women 55 years and older).
Conclusion:
Overcrowding is associated with lower levels of perceived social support, which is a key component of health for the general population and for Nunavimmiut. Future research should examine the factors creating stronger associations between overcrowding and lower social support for men and older adults.
... It is strong predictor of injuries and violence (Goodhand 2001). Crowding increases the risk of getting infectious diseases (Shannon et al. 2018;Tornee 2004;Harling 2014) and mental health (Mangrio 2018;Riva 2014). It also increases the negative effects of natural disasters (McCallin and Scherer 2015). ...
Socioeconomic disparities run deep in the Philippines, but the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these inequities. Globally, there is a renewed sense of urgency to break these inequities and place social justice at the front and center of the post-COVID recovery. Social justice is about redressing power imbalances, assuring the protection of equal access to liberties, rights, and opportunities, and distributing the benefits, risks, and costs among peoples across generations. In this paper, we have examined the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the following sectors: health, labor and education, and environment. We have examined deep-seated structural and systems challenges that could explain these disparities. Avenues for insightful discourses and genuine reforms are needed to address concerns on human capital development and social protection and environment resilience and climate change.
... In 2016, 56% and 52% of the population in Nunavut and Nunavik, respectively, lived in housing considered not suitable, as compared to 8.5% for non-Indigenous Canadians (Statistics Canada, 2017a). Across Inuit homelands, household crowding has been associated with depressive symptoms (Riva et al., 2014a) and with elevated chronic stress (Riva et al., 2014b), especially for Inuit women. However, the detrimental role of crowding on health and health behaviours is not as straightforward as these studies imply. ...
... However, the detrimental role of crowding on health and health behaviours is not as straightforward as these studies imply. In Riva et al. (2014a), higher levels of crowding were associated with lower odds of binge drinking. This counterintuitive association was explained by household composition: the odds of reporting binge drinking were lower in households with children (who contribute significantly to overcrowding given their demographic weight in Inuit regions), compared to adult-only households (Riva et al., 2014a). ...
... In Riva et al. (2014a), higher levels of crowding were associated with lower odds of binge drinking. This counterintuitive association was explained by household composition: the odds of reporting binge drinking were lower in households with children (who contribute significantly to overcrowding given their demographic weight in Inuit regions), compared to adult-only households (Riva et al., 2014a). Because of ongoing debates on the measure of overcrowding in Indigenous populations, for example regarding whether 'one person per room' is a culturally appropriate measure (Lauster & Tester, 2010), studies often additionally explore the effect of household size (total number of occupants) and household composition variables (number of adults and children), which have both been linked to self-rated health and mental health (Hansen et al., 2020). ...
Intervention:
In 2014-2015, more than 400 public housing units were constructed in Nunavut and Nunavik, two of the four Inuit regions in Canada. This provided the opportunity to assess the impact of improved housing conditions from a population health perspective in 12 Inuit communities where housing needs were the most severe. The aim of the research is to examine the associations between changes in housing conditions and changes in psychological distress pre-post rehousing.
Methods:
A pre-post uncontrolled study was conducted in collaboration with Nunavut- and Nunavik-based organizations. Applicants at the top of public housing waitlists were recruited by local housing officers; participants completed questionnaires 1-6 months before rehousing, and 15-18 months after. Change in psychological distress was measured with the Kessler 6-item scale. Changes in three housing measures were examined: number of adults per household, number of children per household, and sense of home score. For each housing measure, a categorical variable stratified participants into three categories. The reference category included participants reporting significant change in the concerned housing measure; the two other categories included participants reporting little or no change. Associations were tested with linear multilevel regression models for change.
Results:
A total of 102 Inuit adults completed the study. A reduction in the number of adults per household (living with 2 adults or less after rehousing) and an increase in sense of home were associated with significant decline in psychological distress pre-post rehousing (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Increased investments leading to such improvements in housing circumstances are promising ways to promote mental health in Inuit regions.
... While studying the Siuai on Bougainville Island (Melanesia), for example, Oliver (1955) was informed that villages had to fission when they exceeded nine households, mainly because of quarrelling among the women. These effects continue to be evident in modern urban societies: increasing levels of stress due to crowding and household density have adverse effects on health (Levy & Herzog 1978;Lepore et al. 1991;Regoeczi 2008;Riva et al. 2014) and are associated with increased rates of conflict and homicide (Pridemore 2002;Nivette & Peres 2021). ...
Group-living is stressful for all mammals, and these stresses limit the size of their social groups. Humans live in very large groups by mammal standards, so how have they solved this problem? I use homicide rates as an index of within-community stress for humans living in small-scale ethnographic societies, and show that the frequency of homicide increases linearly with living-group size in hunter-gatherers. This is not, however, the case for cultivators living in permanent settlements, where there appears to be a ‘glass ceiling’ below which homicide rates oscillate. This glass ceiling correlates with the adoption of social institutions that allow tensions to be managed. The results suggest (1) that the transition to a settled lifestyle in the Neolithic may have been more challenging than is usually assumed and (2) that the increases in settlement size that followed the first villages necessitated the introduction of a series of social institutions designed to manage within-community discord.
... The problem fundamentally comes down to the lack of choice in housing design and fit for cultural and climatic conditions, along with siloed funding and housing development programs that are not community-led and fail to consider Indigenous family values [27,28]. This said, crowding can still contribute to psychological distress, particularly in the presence of poor parenting practices related to prior trauma [28,67,68]. Housing shortages that impose multigenerational cohabitation can enable the perpetuation of cycles of abuse [67,69]. ...
The policies and actions that were enacted to colonize Indigenous Peoples in Canada have been described as constituting cultural genocide. When one considers the long-term consequences from the perspective of the social and environmental determinants of health framework, the impacts of such policies on the physical and mental health of Indigenous Peoples go well beyond cultural loss. This paper addresses the impacts of key historical and current Canadian federal policies in relation to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Far from constituting a mere lesson in history, the connections between colonialist policies and actions on present-day outcomes are evaluated in terms of transgenerational and intergenerational transmission processes, including psychosocial, developmental, environmental, and neurobiological mechanisms and trauma responses. In addition, while colonialist policies have created adverse living conditions for Indigenous Peoples, resilience and the perseverance of many aspects of culture may be maintained through intergenerational processes.
... In addition, more than 70% of the communities in Inuit Nunangat do not currently have a safe shelter for women and children experiencing family violence, and where they do exist, they are over-burdened [42]. In two cross-sectional studies conducted in Inuit regions, overcrowding has been associated with increased stress [43] and poor psychosocial health outcomes [44], particularly among women. Baseline data from a rehousing intervention conducted in Nunavut and Nunavik between 2014 and 2017 showed that household overcrowding was associated with a lower sense of home among Inuit adults [45]. ...
... Many participants in the present study reported that they could not ask for help from their family or find refuge in their place for a long period of time because they were already overcrowded and dealing with their share of problems. This is particularly problematic considering that strong social support has been identified as a "buffer" to the psychosocial health problems linked to overcrowding [44]. ...
This study explores the ways in which a rehousing intervention shapes the mental well-being of Inuit adults living in Nunavut, Canada, where the prevalence of core housing need is four times the national average. More specifically, it compares the housing experiences of participants who were rehoused in a newly built public housing unit, to the experiences of participants on the public housing waitlist. The study was developed in collaboration with organizations based in Nunavut and Nunavik. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed, and a deductive-inductive thematic analysis was performed based on Gidden’s concept of ontological security, and Inuit-specific mental health conceptualization. Twenty-five Inuit adults participated (11 rehoused, 14 waitlist). Three themes were identified to describe how the subjective housing experiences of participants improved their mental well-being after rehousing: (1) refuge creation; (2) self-determination and increased control; (3) improved family dynamics and identity repair. Implicit to these themes are the contrasting housing experiences of participants on the waitlist. Construction initiatives that increase public housing stock and address gaps in the housing continuum across Inuit regions could promote well-being at a population level. However, larger socio-economic problems facing Inuit may hamper beneficial processes stemming from such interventions.
