Background: Street children concern to millions of deprived boys and girls who have adopted the street as their residence. They grow up where tranquility and physical and emotional stability are frequently threatened....Background: Street children concern to millions of deprived boys and girls who have adopted the street as their residence. They grow up where tranquility and physical and emotional stability are frequently threatened. The purpose is to have an empathetic look into the lives of street children for identifying their health-related needs. Method: A cross sectional descriptive type of study was conducted among 125 street children between the ages 8 to 14 years who were available at different intercept points of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. The information was collected through face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. An attempt was made to relate their lifestyle, risk behavior and health impact upon the socio demographic characteristics. Result: According to the statement of street children, poverty (41%) is the main reason behind enforcing the children to stay and work on the street. They pass their leisure by playing games, roaming around by watching video/cinema but on the other side of the coin, they are frequently abused (80.8%) either physically or sexually. Regarding health, about 87.2% of street children were suffering from different type of diseases as accidental injury, skin infection, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and warm infestation. Conclusion: A careful examination of the lives of these children will provide a clearer understanding of their disadvantageous life. A better diagnosis of the contributing factors will help to minimize the extent of the problems and also to develop innovative approaches and ensure a healthy lifestyle, protection and rehabilitation for those children.展开更多
1The term “street children” has been used inter changeably with “children in especially difficult circumstances” in the remaining document. This paper discusses the findings of a research project which is an explo...1The term “street children” has been used inter changeably with “children in especially difficult circumstances” in the remaining document. This paper discusses the findings of a research project which is an exploratory cum descriptive study [1] that aims to describe and examine the state and nature of the quality of life of street children accommodated at an unorganised colony in the city of Delhi. It provides a social profile of children and their families, and exploring the needs and aspirations of these children living in especially difficult circumstances. A non-probability sample of 100 street children in the age group of 5-16 years was randomly selected guided by their availability. An interview schedule was constructed and administered to gather data. The statistical analyses comprised frequencies and percentages on all the sections of the interview schedule. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data from open-ended questions and observations. Case studies were supportive in giving an insight into the lives of children living in especially difficult circumstances. Findings suggest that the quality of life of the participants in this study was depressed due to a lack of access or substandard educational and medical facilities, or absence of emotional support from their poverty stricken families. The existing limited programmes by the government or the civil society for the welfare of street children are lacking in their focus and do not include the voices and needs of the beneficiaries. Although service providers expressed sympathy for street children, many regarded them as deviants, delinquents, future criminals, and a public nuisance. Based on the findings, it has been suggested that the street child phenomenon necessitates a partnership between governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide for policy and legislation, funding and resources to translate programs into concrete plans of action. It has further been argued that such an approach should extend to children using their resourcefulness and creativity, and show that they can be significant in development interventions. Children illustrate both the need for participatory approaches and the problems that arise when perceptions of participants conflict with those of experts.展开更多
Background: The problem of street children is becoming a world crosscutting issue since these children exist in every part of the world and become a worldwide problem. Objective: To assess factors associated with vuln...Background: The problem of street children is becoming a world crosscutting issue since these children exist in every part of the world and become a worldwide problem. Objective: To assess factors associated with vulnerability to STIs and HIV/AIDS among street children in selected towns of Ethiopia. Methodology: Community-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was used on the three selected towns of Ethiopia from June-September, 2016. A total of 360 street children were selected, using snow ball sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 360 (97.8%) respondents were included in this study. Among them, 167 (46.4%) of them had practiced sexual intercourse and out of these, 137 (82%) had started having sex at the age of 16 years old. Out of these, 61 (36.53%) of them started to get daily basic needs whereas 54 (32.3%) of them were forcefully raped on the street. Only 53 (59.6%) had used condom consistently and 83 (49.7%) had conducted survival sex within the last 12 months. Children on the street or chewing khat or consumption of alcohol had more vulnerability to STIs and HIV about 2.532 (1.57 - 4.08), 2.32 (1.11 - 4.80), 4.18 (2.31 - 7.55) times respectively. But those enrolled in school were about 0.40 (0.25, 0.64) less likely vulnerable than their counterparts. Conclusion: Street children are at a higher likelihood of vulnerability to STIs and HIV. Intervention targeted multilevel approach such as re-integration with their family, life skills training, sexuality education, creating income-generating activities and information education about STIs and HIV should be considered.展开更多
This study aimed to assess trace element concentrations in the hair of street children. Nutritional status was assessed by 24 hours’ dietary recall and anthropometric measurements. Data analysis found that Br, Sc, Sm...This study aimed to assess trace element concentrations in the hair of street children. Nutritional status was assessed by 24 hours’ dietary recall and anthropometric measurements. Data analysis found that Br, Sc, Sm and Ti concentrations show a normal distribution, and there is no significant difference between street children and control group. However, in the street children’s hair, the levels of Au, U, V are decreased and the levels of Co, La, Sb, Th are increased compared to the control group.展开更多
Background:Street children are forced to spend a lot of time away from their homes and some of them do not have homes at all,due to economic and family problems,which makes them exposed to many health problems,such as...Background:Street children are forced to spend a lot of time away from their homes and some of them do not have homes at all,due to economic and family problems,which makes them exposed to many health problems,such as the hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection.Iran,like many other countries in the world,experiences the burden of street children,however,the rate of HCV among street children is virtually unknown.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran.Main body:This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.The study protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO under identification term CRD42018082336.A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify published studies reporting on the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran.Several international scholarly databases,including Web of Science,PubMed^(■)/MEDLINE^(■),Embase,Scopus®,Google Scholar and Directory of Open Access Journals,as well as Iranian databases such as MagIran and Barakathns were searched.Studies published between 1988 and December 2017 with any of the following keywords were selected:(street OR homeless OR labour)AND(children OR child OR infant)AND(hepatitis C OR hepatitis C virus OR HCV OR viral hepatitis OR hepatitis OR hepacivirus)AND Iran.Moreover,a grey literature search was performed in order to obtain other potentially relevant studies.The search was carried out without any language restrictions.Four studies,surveying a total of 1691 street children,conducted between 2006 and 2017 were found to be eligible for inclusion in the review and therefore analysed.Three studies were conducted in Tehran and one in Isfahan.The prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran was found to be high,at 2.4%(95%CI:1.8-3.3).Conclusions:Since the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran is quite high,health decision-and policy-makers should pay more attention to street children and widen support channels,both social and economic.Further studies should be conducted among street children in different cities of Iran to add to the knowledge base of HCV among street children in the country.The health system should provide facilities for street children to be screened to quickly diagnose illnesses and prevent them from developing complications.展开更多
Background:Street children are a global phenomenon,with an estimated population of around 150 million across the world.These children include those who work on the streets but retain their family contacts,and also tho...Background:Street children are a global phenomenon,with an estimated population of around 150 million across the world.These children include those who work on the streets but retain their family contacts,and also those who practically live on the streets and have no or limited family contacts.In Pakistan,many children are forced to work on the streets due to health-related events occurring at home which require children to play a financially productive role from an early stage.An explanatory framework adapted from the poverty-disease cycle has been used to elaborate these findings.Methods:This study is a qualitative study,and involved 19 in-depth interviews and two key informant interviews,conducted in Rawalpindi,Pakistan,from February to May 2013.The data was audio taped and transcribed.Key themes were identified and built upon.The respondents were contacted through a gatekeeper ex-street child who was a member of the street children community.Results:We asked the children to describe their life stories.These stories led us to the finding that street children are always forced to attain altered social roles because health-related problems,poverty,and large family sizes leave them no choice but to enter the workforce and earn their way.We also gathered information regarding high-risk practices and increased risks of sexual and substance abuse,based on the street children’s increased exposure.These children face the issue of social exclusion because diseases and poverty push them into a life full of risks and hazards;a life which also confines their social role in the future.Conclusion:The street child community in Pakistan is on the rise.These children are excluded from mainstream society,and the absence of access to education and vocational skills reduces their future opportunities.Keeping in mind the implications of health-related events on these children,robust inter-sectoral interventions are required.展开更多
文摘Background: Street children concern to millions of deprived boys and girls who have adopted the street as their residence. They grow up where tranquility and physical and emotional stability are frequently threatened. The purpose is to have an empathetic look into the lives of street children for identifying their health-related needs. Method: A cross sectional descriptive type of study was conducted among 125 street children between the ages 8 to 14 years who were available at different intercept points of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. The information was collected through face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. An attempt was made to relate their lifestyle, risk behavior and health impact upon the socio demographic characteristics. Result: According to the statement of street children, poverty (41%) is the main reason behind enforcing the children to stay and work on the street. They pass their leisure by playing games, roaming around by watching video/cinema but on the other side of the coin, they are frequently abused (80.8%) either physically or sexually. Regarding health, about 87.2% of street children were suffering from different type of diseases as accidental injury, skin infection, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and warm infestation. Conclusion: A careful examination of the lives of these children will provide a clearer understanding of their disadvantageous life. A better diagnosis of the contributing factors will help to minimize the extent of the problems and also to develop innovative approaches and ensure a healthy lifestyle, protection and rehabilitation for those children.
文摘1The term “street children” has been used inter changeably with “children in especially difficult circumstances” in the remaining document. This paper discusses the findings of a research project which is an exploratory cum descriptive study [1] that aims to describe and examine the state and nature of the quality of life of street children accommodated at an unorganised colony in the city of Delhi. It provides a social profile of children and their families, and exploring the needs and aspirations of these children living in especially difficult circumstances. A non-probability sample of 100 street children in the age group of 5-16 years was randomly selected guided by their availability. An interview schedule was constructed and administered to gather data. The statistical analyses comprised frequencies and percentages on all the sections of the interview schedule. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data from open-ended questions and observations. Case studies were supportive in giving an insight into the lives of children living in especially difficult circumstances. Findings suggest that the quality of life of the participants in this study was depressed due to a lack of access or substandard educational and medical facilities, or absence of emotional support from their poverty stricken families. The existing limited programmes by the government or the civil society for the welfare of street children are lacking in their focus and do not include the voices and needs of the beneficiaries. Although service providers expressed sympathy for street children, many regarded them as deviants, delinquents, future criminals, and a public nuisance. Based on the findings, it has been suggested that the street child phenomenon necessitates a partnership between governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide for policy and legislation, funding and resources to translate programs into concrete plans of action. It has further been argued that such an approach should extend to children using their resourcefulness and creativity, and show that they can be significant in development interventions. Children illustrate both the need for participatory approaches and the problems that arise when perceptions of participants conflict with those of experts.
文摘Background: The problem of street children is becoming a world crosscutting issue since these children exist in every part of the world and become a worldwide problem. Objective: To assess factors associated with vulnerability to STIs and HIV/AIDS among street children in selected towns of Ethiopia. Methodology: Community-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was used on the three selected towns of Ethiopia from June-September, 2016. A total of 360 street children were selected, using snow ball sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 360 (97.8%) respondents were included in this study. Among them, 167 (46.4%) of them had practiced sexual intercourse and out of these, 137 (82%) had started having sex at the age of 16 years old. Out of these, 61 (36.53%) of them started to get daily basic needs whereas 54 (32.3%) of them were forcefully raped on the street. Only 53 (59.6%) had used condom consistently and 83 (49.7%) had conducted survival sex within the last 12 months. Children on the street or chewing khat or consumption of alcohol had more vulnerability to STIs and HIV about 2.532 (1.57 - 4.08), 2.32 (1.11 - 4.80), 4.18 (2.31 - 7.55) times respectively. But those enrolled in school were about 0.40 (0.25, 0.64) less likely vulnerable than their counterparts. Conclusion: Street children are at a higher likelihood of vulnerability to STIs and HIV. Intervention targeted multilevel approach such as re-integration with their family, life skills training, sexuality education, creating income-generating activities and information education about STIs and HIV should be considered.
文摘This study aimed to assess trace element concentrations in the hair of street children. Nutritional status was assessed by 24 hours’ dietary recall and anthropometric measurements. Data analysis found that Br, Sc, Sm and Ti concentrations show a normal distribution, and there is no significant difference between street children and control group. However, in the street children’s hair, the levels of Au, U, V are decreased and the levels of Co, La, Sb, Th are increased compared to the control group.
基金This study was part of a PhD thesis supported by the School of Health Management,Iran University of Medical Sciences(ID:IUMS/SHMIS_1396/9423557001).
文摘Background:Street children are forced to spend a lot of time away from their homes and some of them do not have homes at all,due to economic and family problems,which makes them exposed to many health problems,such as the hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection.Iran,like many other countries in the world,experiences the burden of street children,however,the rate of HCV among street children is virtually unknown.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran.Main body:This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.The study protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO under identification term CRD42018082336.A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify published studies reporting on the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran.Several international scholarly databases,including Web of Science,PubMed^(■)/MEDLINE^(■),Embase,Scopus®,Google Scholar and Directory of Open Access Journals,as well as Iranian databases such as MagIran and Barakathns were searched.Studies published between 1988 and December 2017 with any of the following keywords were selected:(street OR homeless OR labour)AND(children OR child OR infant)AND(hepatitis C OR hepatitis C virus OR HCV OR viral hepatitis OR hepatitis OR hepacivirus)AND Iran.Moreover,a grey literature search was performed in order to obtain other potentially relevant studies.The search was carried out without any language restrictions.Four studies,surveying a total of 1691 street children,conducted between 2006 and 2017 were found to be eligible for inclusion in the review and therefore analysed.Three studies were conducted in Tehran and one in Isfahan.The prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran was found to be high,at 2.4%(95%CI:1.8-3.3).Conclusions:Since the prevalence of HCV among street children in Iran is quite high,health decision-and policy-makers should pay more attention to street children and widen support channels,both social and economic.Further studies should be conducted among street children in different cities of Iran to add to the knowledge base of HCV among street children in the country.The health system should provide facilities for street children to be screened to quickly diagnose illnesses and prevent them from developing complications.
文摘Background:Street children are a global phenomenon,with an estimated population of around 150 million across the world.These children include those who work on the streets but retain their family contacts,and also those who practically live on the streets and have no or limited family contacts.In Pakistan,many children are forced to work on the streets due to health-related events occurring at home which require children to play a financially productive role from an early stage.An explanatory framework adapted from the poverty-disease cycle has been used to elaborate these findings.Methods:This study is a qualitative study,and involved 19 in-depth interviews and two key informant interviews,conducted in Rawalpindi,Pakistan,from February to May 2013.The data was audio taped and transcribed.Key themes were identified and built upon.The respondents were contacted through a gatekeeper ex-street child who was a member of the street children community.Results:We asked the children to describe their life stories.These stories led us to the finding that street children are always forced to attain altered social roles because health-related problems,poverty,and large family sizes leave them no choice but to enter the workforce and earn their way.We also gathered information regarding high-risk practices and increased risks of sexual and substance abuse,based on the street children’s increased exposure.These children face the issue of social exclusion because diseases and poverty push them into a life full of risks and hazards;a life which also confines their social role in the future.Conclusion:The street child community in Pakistan is on the rise.These children are excluded from mainstream society,and the absence of access to education and vocational skills reduces their future opportunities.Keeping in mind the implications of health-related events on these children,robust inter-sectoral interventions are required.
