Users of the Public Bathhouse of Alcântara: health profile diagnosis

Abstract

Resumo ResumenBackground: The community outreach project of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, which involves the public bathhouse of Alcântara, started out of the need to identify its users.Objectives: To characterize the users' socio-demographic and health profile and describe their use of social and health resources. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study, of quantitative nature, was conducted with the application of a questionnaire to a sample of 145 participants.Results: The typical user is male, single, aged 25-35 years and lives alone (21%). This user goes to the public bathhouse two to three times per week. Most of the users (58.3%) have no bathroom, 29.7% are homeless, 35.2% are not registered in any health care center, and 24.8% have mental disorders. Conclusion:The typical bathhouse user is of working age, was born in Lisbon and in the Portuguese-speaking African Countries, and has no source of income. The main reasons leading to the use of the public bathhouse are the economic difficulties, the homeless condition, and the lack of sanitary conditions.

Family transitions to homelessness: a qualitative approach

“…It is clear from people's history that phenomena linked to mental suffering later appear. In this study, as in others, there is a clear relationship between the mental illness that fuels the difficulty in managing conflicts and the addictive behaviors (3,(18)(19) . Due to the prevalence, mental illness and the factors underlying it, of an individual, family and social nature, seem to be the factors that best justify the situational transition (1,7) of the family to homelessness.…”

“…Universidade Católica Portuguesa aims to investigate the problems of Portuguese society to promote cultural values. In this sense, and within the scope of university extension projects to the community, the study on the diagnosis of the health situation of Alcântara Public Shower Room users was developed (3) . Given the identified social vulnerability, the transcendence of the phenomenon and the available resources, a mental and community health nursing consultation was instituted.…”

“…According to the diagnosis of health situation of Alcântara Public Shower users, 30% live in homeless condition (3) .…”

“…Mental illness and cognitive disability lead to stigma and greater difficulty in human relationships, particularly with the family (11)(12)(13) . Unemployment, poverty and inadequate public policies justify social causes (3,14) .…”

“…Given the importance of continuing to study vulnerable populations in the construction of nursing responses (1) (Meleis, 2010) and according to the data obtained, it was found that 30% of public shower room users are homeless (3) . A research project that aims to understand the causes of homelessness and the phenomena/ events of transition of the person/family to this condition arose.…”