Best Couple

When boy and girl first together, they normally will encountered many of the problems in their relationships because they known that they were different in terms of attitude, mindset and even experience. However, they were able to overcome all these problems and one of the secrets of their success was good communication between boy and girl.

Generally, they communicated among themselves are well because they spoke different languages. When they had problems, they can bring out the problems and get it over with. Let say, the boy and girl talk in same languages however the way they were used produce different meanings and understanding. Their expressions were similar and they end up with different connotations or feelings emphasis. In all the relationships, misinterpreting between couple is something that very easy to occur and it is not something new. So when communication problems between partners move out, they assumed it was just misunderstandings and that with a little help from third party they would surely understand each other. All this stage, they already experienced a trust and acceptance that we rarely experience today.

Certainly every boy and girl ultimately has all these twelve kinds of love requirement. For your information, the six kinds of love primarily required by girl also sometime imply to boy requirements. In other words, sometime boy also require attention, understanding, respect, loyalty, validation, and reassurance in their love. However most of these require apply to girl but it have some possibility apply to boy. Besides that, ‘What is meant by “primary requirement”? Well, some people say that it is basic requirement that need fulfilled before one of the party in relationship able fully to receive and appreciate the other kinds of love.

A boy becomes fully receptive to or appreciative after his own primary requirement is fulfilled. In other words, a boy will become giving after his own love requirement such approval are received from his partner.  This concept apply to girl as well, before she can truly value appreciate these kinds of love, she must first of all achieve her primary requirement.

In order to improve your relationship, understanding each other primary requirement are extremely important and it make determine whether your relationship will last long or not.

Good Marital Status4 Human

Marriage counseling and therapy won’t fix a marriage that is wrong from the start

I just knew the marriage could not work. I knew that marriage counseling would not work. There was nothing to “save.” I went to a convention and I shook off the shackles [of my unhappy marriage] and felt enlightened, alive, and confident. I had not felt this way in so long! I took off my ring and declared myself free. I came home and he was crying. I told him I was moving in with my parents. How could this marriage possibly work when he was either screaming at me or crying? My parents did not understand why the marriage was over. I was ashamed to tell them the real reasons I was leaving. I didn’t want to tell them about his drug and drinking habits. I didn’t want to talk about his anger and depression. I really didn’t want to tell them that I knew the marriage was a mistake in the first place! How could an educated person like me be so dumb? I felt like my mom did not trust me; she was resentful. She was upset our marriage was breaking up. She kept asking me, “When are you going back home?”  When I packed up, I had sobbing fits; I finally told my mom the truth. I was overcome with shame. I just decided: “Let’s get on with this.” It was very painful

I was tired of trying to be someone I wasn’t. I wanted him to grow up. I left. I only took half of our belongings. I left a lot behind. I found an apartment all by myself — it was the first time in my life I was all alone. It was really, really hard. I cried for weeks. What was I crying for? I had an aching pain that I could nothing about. I had given eight years of my life to this relationship — all for nothing. I was angry with myself for being blind to who he really was, even though it had been in front of me the whole time. I blamed myself for a lot of It — I had failed at marriage.

The pain and sense of failure is hard to imagine — until it’s your life and your divorce

I was so unhappy. I was such an overachiever I was ashamed to admit I was getting a divorce. I could not sleep and would take a Sominex and have a light beer every night in order to sleep. I avoided my friends. My dad finally called and said I have a lawyer for you. At that point, I realized my husband had hidden all of the assets.

How could I — a strong, independent woman let myself get into this position? I had a long haul to forgive myself. It was hard to look back and believe that was me.

I felt a lot of self-hate over the divorce. I felt like a failure. I tried to never think about it.

Wouldn’t you rather deal with a breakup or a canceled wedding than any of the above?  If you find yourself saying “….we can always get a divorce” it’s time to sit up, take charge and find the courage to end your relationship. Talk to a trusted friend, an advisor, a therapist—anyone who can help you tap into the courage you need to get out. We know it is always easier said than done. But you CAN do it. Here is some final advice from women who have been there:

Listen to your gut instincts. Where does your true happiness lie? Pay attention to those red flags. Remember, when you’re in the bottom of the barrel, you can’t see the top. Cut your losses, move on, and don’t throw good years away. I had feelings of unworthiness and worthlessness. My poor self-esteem got me into trouble, into the mess I found myself in. If I had been more secure, I would have never gone through with the wedding. You must be able to support yourself and live on your own. Do not be afraid to do this!

Never use marriage as a crutch for your issues, family problems, tragedies or even pregnancy.  If you are having second thoughts, listen to your intuition.  Talk to family members and friends who can see the relationship from the outside. They may have a better perspective.

Don’t get caught in the trap of “When I marry him, I’ll change him.” And don’t think that fatherhood will change him for the better, because it won’t. If you suspect he won’t be a very good father, you are probably right. Do not marry him because he will not change.

Do I wish I could do it all over again differently? Sure. I wish I would have waited for true love like I have now. My (current) husband is my best friend, lover, partner, confidant and father to my children. My ex-husband married the 15-year-old baby-sitter and had two kids with her. He is almost 50 years old and is still an asshole to me, his children and now his new wife. If your gut says run — you must run! No matter what, you must listen to your gut. It knows you better than you know yourself. It’s your internal warning siren!

Divorce in Human life

Most parents of children with autism are acutely aware of the issues that come with the diagnosis and particularly, how stress affects their marriage. So what does the research say about autism and divorce? One study published by Hartley etal. showed that parents who had a child with autism had a higher divorce rate than parents without a child with autism.  However, a more recent study presented in 2010 by Dr. Brian Freedman of the Kennedy Krieger Institute found there was no increase in divorce rates. According to their research, "64% of children with autism lived with married or adoptive parents compared to a rate of 65% for children with no autism diagnosis".

The subject of divorce and autism is important in that parents of a newly diagnosed child may read an article about higher divorce rates and assume that their marriage is automatically at risk for divorce. Also, if a couple already has a strained marriage prior to the diagnosis, they may think that divorce is unavoidable. While there are strong emotions resulting from a diagnosis and there can be significant stress involved with raising a child with autism, do parents who subsequently get divorced primarily divorce because of the autism? 

As a parent of a child with autism, who was divorced, I believe that a diagnosis of autism is similar to any other great life stressor. However, in addition to stress, the autism diagnosis frequently is a life changing event for the parents of the child as well as the entire family unit. Therefore, if a marriage is strong, the couple may weather the storm over time and possibly come out stronger. But for couples who are already having difficulties in their marriage, autism is a stressor that can become the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. And for those couples, autism becomes yet another reason to divorce.

In an effort to examine parent perceptions of divorce and autism, I conducted a survey of other divorced parents who have a child with autism. Do parents believe that autism was the primary reason for their divorce? Specifically, how does the diagnosis of autism contribute as a reason for divorce?

Fifty-two divorced parents who have a child with autism responded to a survey regarding their perceptions of divorce and autism. While 78% of respondents said they divorced after their child was diagnosed, and overwhelmingly 76% of the respondents said that autism was not the primary cause of their divorce. Although the majority of respondents did not consider autism a main cause of divorce, 50% did consider autism to be a contributing factor for the divorce.

Marriage is Divine thought 4 Human

And the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." . . . So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib (side) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (Gen 2:18, 21 22)

Why did God do it that way? Why create one being and then take a part of that being and create a second, differentiated yet complimentary being who is "bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh," a being who is sexually, emotionally and in other ways different, yet of his own substance? Upon seeing her, Adam could have observed, "It's me . . . but not me." Well, if you think about it, it does sound like the kind of thing you might expect a Trinity to do.

The Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is a family, and thus man in God's image must be made a family as well. Therefore, a man cannot completely realize the essence of his existence until he learns to exist with someone and for someone. Both relationship and communion are crucial to this process.

And so we see from Genesis 1 and 2 that God created woman from the side of man so that the man would not be alone. From the teaching of the New Testament, saints have since discovered that He also created the Church from the side of the second Adam—Christ—for the same reason—for intimate fellowship.

Back in the Genesis account, we note that the newly created Eve was Adam — his very flesh and bone, and for that reason, the Bible says, Adam called her woman, and, for that reason a man is to leave mother and father and be united to his wife to become one flesh (v24).

For what reason is man to marry a wife? Because woman was originally a constituent part of man, she must return to become one with him again, so that the full expression and design of God's image in human beings can be revealed.

Here we have another parallel between the Old Testament type and the New Testament fulfillment. Eve was to reunite with her source and become one with him—just as we are with Christ, as He prayed in John 17. Sexuality, therefore, is a prefigurement of the intimate relationship that God desires to have with man. In fact, the marital union and covenant, in all its dimensions, is meant to gloriously reveal the very image of God in ways that we can only begin to understand.

Ah, but there's more to this mystery than can be seen on the surface. The union of a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony is not literally the permanent recombining of two bodies into one. This is mystery that reaches depths of meaning beyond what our present intellectual capacity can grasp.

Clearly however, what woman is as a part of man is not tied to individuated pieces of flesh and bone, but is far broader and more profound than that. She is the necessary compliment to him that together reveals the glory of the image of God in humanity. Her parts and his parts each have their own order and function. Together and rightly ordered, their united differences ignite the power and glory of creation itself, which is the consummate activity of God from the beginning.

So God does a two stage creation of man. First he makes the full orbed being (Adam, which in the Hebrew means, mankind). Then in phase two, God removes woman from Adam's side and makes Eve a separate being, though of Adam's substance, designed to ultimately reunite to her source through the mystery of Holy Matrimony.

And the spark, the power of that union is meant to gloriously reveal the very image of God to angels and archangels and all the company of heaven and earth. That is why Satan fights tooth and nail to pervert and distort rightly ordered human sexuality, holy matrimony, the family, and fatherhood in particular.

In fact, the amount of time and effort that Satan expends to destroy the image of God reflected in marriage, fatherhood and human sexuality is a barometer of just how incredibly important it is to God's plan and the expression of His glory.

Beloved, there is a profound and awesome reason for the way God ordered the creation of man—one that is commented on throughout Scripture, and one that we must observe if we are to find the fulfillment of our very being as humans. It is ordered as the union of a man and a woman in marriage—heterosexual and monogamous—an order that Jesus unambiguously reaffirmed in Matthew.

NATIONAL CROPS

Wheat is the first cereal to be cultivated by man. In several places in the Middle East it is being sowed, tended and reaped soon after 8000 BC. The people of Jericho are the first known to have lived mainly from the cultivation of crops. Barley is grown within the following millennium. 

American farmers: 5000 - 2500 BC

the cultivation of crops in America begins in the Tehuacan valley, southeast of the present-day Mexico City. Squash and chili are the earliest plants to be grown - soon followed by corn (or maize) and then by beans and gourds. These are all species which need to be individually planted, rather than their seeds being scattered or sown over broken ground. This is a distinction of importance in American history, for there are no animals in America at this time strong enough to pull a plough. 

  

Rice is thought to have been cultivated considerably later, perhaps not until about 2500 BC. It is uncertain whether it is first grown as a crop in India or China. 

Vines and olives: 4000-3500 BC: Grapes are probably first cultivated in the region of the Caspian sea, where the main grape vine, Vitis vinifera, is indigenous. From there the growing of grapes (always mainly for wine rather than eating) spreads through the Middle East and on through Anatolia to Greece. Wine is a familiar feature in the world of Homer. The Phoenicians take the vine to southern France and Spain in about the 8th century BC, and in the early centuries AD the Romans plant grapes in the Rhine valley. Grapes and olives are the two richest crops of the Mediterranean region. Olives, indigenous in the eastern Mediterranean, are relatively easy to gather in the wild. So the cultivation of olives begins slightly later than grapes. Even so, there is evidence that groves of olives are planted in Crete from about 3500 BC and around the eastern coast of the Mediterranan not much later. Over the centuries growing and pressing olives, to provide olive oil, are two activities which underpin the economic development of Mediterranean civilization. 

  

Cotton, rice and sesame: 2500-1700 BC: The local produce of the Indus civilization includes three crops of great significance in subsequent history, each of which is possibly first cultivated here. Yarns of spun cotton have been found at Mohenjo-daro. There is evidence of the growing of rice in the region of Lothal. And sesame, the earliest plant to be used as a source of edible oil, also seems to make its first appearance here as an agricultural crop. Engravings of elephants on the Indus valley seals, sometimes with ropes around the body, suggests that this civilization is also the first to tame the world's most powerful beast of burden. 

  

Sugar: 4th century BC: The cultivation of sugar cane, a plant probably indigenous in New Guinea, spreads through Southeast Asia in prehistoric times. The first mention of its use, crushed for its sweet juice, is in northern India in the 4th century BC. Both sugar and candy derive from Sanskrit words (sarkara, khanda). Sugar processed for use in solid form must wait for almost a millennium. The first certain reference to it is in Persia in the 6th century AD. The cultivation of sugar beet, by far the main source of sugar today, is a much later development - not really of significance until the Napoleonic wars. 

  

Tea: 4th century BC: Tea, the leaf of a shrub of the camellia family indigenous to China, is probably the first plant to have been cultivated specifically as the basis for a non-alcoholic drink. Chinese legend dignifies its discovery with attractive but improbable stories from early times. However the pleasures of tea are clearly known by about 350 BC, when the word features in a Chinese dictionary. 

Culture 2 Global

Culture refers to the pattern of human activity and the symbols, which give significance to this activity. Culture is represented through the art, literature, costumes, customs and traditions of a community. Different cultures exist in different parts of the world. The natural environment greatly affects the lifestyle of the people of that region, thus shaping their culture. The diversity in the cultures around the world is also a result of the mindsets of people inhabiting different regions of the world. Let us try to find out. The cultural values of a community give it an identity of its own. A community gains a character and a personality of its own, because of the culture of its people. Culture is shared by the members of a community. It is learned and passed from the older generations to the newer ones. For an effective transfer of culture from one generation to another, it has to be translated into symbols. Language, art and religion serve as the symbolic means of transfer of cultural values between generations.

Culture is a bond that ties the people of a region or community together. It is that one common bond, which brings the people of a community together. The customs and traditions that the people of a community follow, the festivals they celebrate, the kind of clothing they wear, the food they eat, and most importantly, the cultural values they adhere to, bind them together.  Culture is seen as a system of social control, wherein people shape their standards and behavior. The cultural values form the founding principles of one’s life. They influence one’s principles and philosophies of life. They influence one’s way of living and thus impact social life.

Culture is that invisible bond, which ties the people of a community together. It refers to the pattern of human activity. The art, literature, language and religion of a community represent the community’s culture. Culture manifests itself through the lifestyle of the individuals of a community. The moral values of the people of a community also represent their culture. The importance of culture lies in its close association with the living of the people. The different cultures of the world have brought in diversity in the ways of life of the people inhabiting different parts of the world. You might want to know about the characteristics of culture. 

Culture is related to the development of one’s attitude. One’s culture plays an important role in shaping the principles of the individual’s life. The cultural values of an individual have a deep impact on his/her attitude towards life. According to the behaviorist definition of culture, it is the ultimate system of social control where people monitor their own standards and behavior. A community’s culture lays the foundation of the living of its people. The cultural values serve as the founding principles of one’s life. They shape an individual’s thinking and influence his/her mindset.

Education 2 Univerce

Education is very important for an individual's success in life. Education provides pupils teaching skills that prepare them physically, mentally and socially for the world of work in later life. Education is generally seen as the foundation of society which brings economic wealth, social prosperity and political stability. Higher education helps in maintaining a healthy society which prepares health care professionals, educated health care consumers and maintaining healthy population. Education is major aspect of development of any modern society since if there is a deficit of educated people then society will stops its further progress. Government should pay serious attention to education and support it economically and morally all over the country. 

Education is the best investment for the people because well educated people have more opportunities to get a job which gives them satisfaction. Educated individuals enjoy respect among their colleagues and they can effectively contribute to the development of their country and society by inventing new devices and discoveries. Today's ever growing numbers of people mostly are not satisfied with their basic education and try to get secondary or tertiary education in order to meet the demands of contemporary society. Some of them enter higher educational institutions and some search additional information on the internet. Good People sacrifices their time and money and sometimes even their health to raise educational level because they realize that education is their passport to the future and for tomorrow. 

Main purpose of education is to educate individuals within society, to prepare and qualify them for work in economy as well as to integrate people into society and teach them values and morals of society. Role of education is means of socializing individuals and to keep society smoothing and remain stable. Education in society prepares youngsters for adulthood so that they may form the next generation of leaders. It will yield strong families and strong communities. Indeed, parents taking an active role in their child education produce a willingness in children to learn. Education and society provides a forum where teachers and scholars all over the world are able to evaluate problems in education and society from a balanced and comparative social and economic perspective. 

Education is an important aspect of the work of society and it will raise the countryside issues and promote knowledge and understanding of rural communities. One of the education essential tasks is to enable people to understand themselves. Students must be equipped with knowledge and skills which are needed to participate effectively as member of society and contribute towards the development of shared values and common identity. Education has a vital role to play in assisting students to understand their cultural identity. Education acts as the distribution mechanism of the cultural values such as it more layered the society and participate in society that carries the culture. 

Education and society provides a forum where teachers and scholars all over the world are able to evaluate problems in education and society from a balanced and comparative social and economic perspective. Education is an important aspect of the work of society and it will raise the countryside issues and promote knowledge and understanding of rural communities. One of the education essential tasks is to enable people to understand themselves. Students must be equipped with knowledge and skills which are needed to participate effectively as member of society and contribute towards the development of shared values and common identity. 

Education has a vital role to play in assisting students to understand their cultural identity. Education acts as the distribution mechanism of the cultural values such as it more layered the society and participate in society that carries the culture. In our culture today, there is a great emphasis on higher education. In a society, more educated you are, better off you are. Every society has specialized individuals that require extended education to fulfill certain main positions. These persons are normally known as professors, priests, doctors, mechanics or artists. Education has been a higher part of every culture on earth and education is a systemic project. Whole society should care for and support the education patriotism, cause and socialism among the young people.

HEALTH 2 ALL

HEALTH IS WEALTH

A healthy man is always cheerful. He finds interest in doing a thing. He has got strength of mind. He always sees the bright side of a thing. He is always hopeful. He does not lose heart easily. A healthy man is then the happiest of all men.  What is necessary for good health - Many things are necessary to preserve health. The first thing necessary is pure air. The second thing is water. We must have good food. We require exercise of the body. The last thing necessary is rest.How to preserve health - Pure air is good for our health. We should breathe pure air. We should therefore, live in a place full of pure air. We require pure drinking water. If we drink impure water, our health cannot be good. We shall suffer from many diseases. For the preservation of our health we require good food. Only good food, we cannot keep out health good. If we cannot digest our food, we suffer from many diseases. Physical exercise is necessary to digest the food. We may use dumb bells, clubs, etc. We may play outdoor games. They improve our health. It is very good to walk in the morning and evening in an open field. We can breathe pure air. Moreover walking is a good exercise. Everyone can take this exercise. Riding, boating, etc. also are good forms of exercise.  Physical exercise must not be taken too much. We become much tired if we take much exercise. After exercise we require rest. So we must have sound sleep at night.

Health is an invaluable part of a human being’s life. Without it, people can become uninspired, de-motivated, and unable to thrive for success. So, some individuals visit their doctors regularly to make sure they are in tiptop shape. Likewise, there are those who purchase insurance coverage so they can receive the best healthcare should there be a need in the future. Then, there are individuals who spend a lot of time and money to improve their health, which includes going to wellness spas, getting health and beauty treatments, working out in gyms, and buying healthcare products, among many other things. 

Yet, as people desire to improve their wellbeing, they have become increasingly cautious of what they buy as well. Some individuals do this not because of the finances involved, rather it is about getting the value of what they paid for, which can only be obtained by purchasing effective items and services. So then, most consumers take the time to inspect what is being offered to them before shelling out money for it. 

One way to make sure that a product or service is reliable is through its marketing campaigns. An ethical and transparent company that is genuinely committed to giving its customers value for money with their goods and services will not hesitate to inform people of the ingredients, components, or processes they use. This is because a legitimate company that wants to promote its desire to serve for the greater good will tries to get such a message across through its campaigns. For this reason, if a product or service advertisement sounds or looks too good to be true, then think twice before buying it. 

CLOTH 4 HUMAN

CLOTHES 2 COVER

It is a basic human inclination to cover oneself; and in the days when human life was wrought with peril and uncertainty, the lack of clothing was yet another calamity. We have gone from being unclothed, to semi-clothed to completely clothed, the cycle of events purely dictated by compulsion and driven by invention, now we have gone to being semi-clothed again ironically purely by choice, which is an entirely new argument altogether invoking questions on the values of today. We are here to discuss the earlier sequence of events, so that the next time we do something special, we sympathies with those who did without clothing, may their souls rest in peace and appreciate those who decided they have had enough of the ‘uncovered’ circumstances.

Do we even know what textile is? The definition is highly informative. Textiles, defined as felt or spun fibers made into yarn and subsequently netted, looped, knit or woven to make fabrics. The difference between the felt and spun fibers; felt fibers are produced by matting, condensing and pressing woolen fibers.  Whereas spun fibers are produced by twisting together plant, animal or synthetic fibers.

When did we first start? Clothing;

There is discord among various scientific research and groups about the actual time when people actually started clothing themselves. Some scientists believe it was around 650,000 years ago that people first started to clothe. Other believe on the basis of the birth of the body louse which may have been transferred from the head louse and lives in clothes that it can be about 107,000 years ago. The oldest possible sample of fabric which the scientists have in their possession dates to the Neolithic ages also referred to as the late Stone Age. These ages persisted approximately 50,000 years ago.

Cut and styling of the first ever dress; Conclusions drawn

As the equipment to style the cloth in the desired fashion had not yet been discovered, the fashion trend of those times must have been simple and uncomplicated entailing mere draping and holding the cloth together by reasonable means. Theories suggesting possible texture of the first ever dress is discussed under the headings of the oldest preserved textile and first technique of felt.

Facts about the Oldest Preserved Textile

The culture existed from 4000 B.C. to 2900 B.C. in North and Central Europe. Several techniques including X-ray microanalysis and microscopic study were applied by the scientists to identify the fiber content, elemental composition, or other observable information. Observations were:  the fibers used were of plant origin, the fibers themselves do not contain any sculpture, which would have been the case had they been wool.

Conclusions:

The fragment was woven from flax fibers. A plant of the Linum species, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers Flax is grown both for its seeds and for its fibers. Various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels, and soap. The fabric which results from weaving the flax fibres is linen. Luxurious and light, it was most popular in ancient Egypt among the rich and poor alike. SHARE CLOTHS TO NEED. 

FOOD 4 HUMAN

BEST FOOD FOR HUMANKIND

"We are what we eat" is an old proverb. Our nutritional status, health, physical and mental faculties depend on the food we eat and how we eat it. Access to good quality food has been man's main Endeavour from the earliest days of human existence. Safety of food is a basic requirement of food quality. "Food safety" implies absence or acceptable and safe levels of contaminants, adulterants, naturally occurring toxins or any other substance that may make food injurious to health on an acute or chronic basis. Food quality can be considered as a complex characteristic of food that determines its value or acceptability to consumers. Besides safety, quality attributes include: nutritional value; organoleptic properties such as appearance, color, texture, taste; and functional properties.

Food systems in developing countries are not always as well organized and developed as in the industrialized world. Moreover, problems of growing population, urbanization, lack of resources to deal with pre- and post- harvest losses in food, and problems of environmental and food hygiene mean that food systems in developing countries continue to be stressed, adversely affecting quality and safety of food supplies. People in developing countries are therefore exposed to a wide range of potential food quality and safety risks. This paper discusses the special problems of food quality and safety in developing countries as well as their impact on food security and presents ways and means of dealing with these problems.

In 2020, the world population will most likely reach 7.6 billion, an increase of 31% over the mid-1996 population of 5.8 billion. Approximately 98% of the projected population growth over this period will take place in developing countries. It has also been estimated that between the years 1995 and 2020 the developing world's urban population will double, reaching 3.4 billion. This overall increase in population and in the urban population in particular, poses great challenges to food systems. Intensification of agriculture and animal husbandry; more efficient food handling, processing and distribution systems; introduction of newer technologies including appropriate application of biotechnology will all have to be exploited to increase food availability to meet the needs of growing populations. Some of these practices and technologies may also pose potential problems of food safety and nutritional quality and call for special attention in order to ensure consumer protection. GIVE FOOD TO HUNGRY.

HOME 4 HUMAN

Homes offer protection from the elements and from a variety of health hazards and provide basic amenities such as a secure place to eat and sleep, to keep one's possessions, to raise a family, and be part of a community. One of the most characteristic and consistent human behaviors over thousands of years is that humans build shelters. Housing is a basic human need, yet the 1997 Human Development Report notes that more than 1 billion people—one-quarter of the world's population—live without shelter or in unhealthy and unacceptable conditions. Over 100 million people around the world have no shelter whatsoever. The health consequences of this level of homelessness are profound.

Sadly, homelessness is a significant problem in both the United States and Canada. Homelessness is a matter of concern anywhere in the world, but it is a particular cause for concern—and shame—when it occurs in the richest nations in the world. Accurate statistics on the level of homelessness are hard to come by. In part, this is because definitions of homelessness vary. It includes not only those who are living on the streets or in shelters and hostels but also those who are living in temporary accommodation or in housing that is unfit for human habitation. Estimates of the number of people without homes in the United States vary from 230,000 to 3 million, including between 50,000 and 500,000 children. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated in 1999 that "there are at least 600,000 homeless men, women, and children in the United States on any given night," adding that roughly one-third of this population is composed of families with children. In its 1997 position paper on eliminating homelessness, the American Public Health Association (APHA) noted that "as many as 7.4 percent of Americans (13.5 million people) may have experienced homelessness at some time in their lives." Homelessness increased in the 1990s, and the fastest growing segment of the homeless population was homeless families.

At Canada, it was estimated in 1986 that 130,000 to 250,000 Canadians were homeless or living in substandard housing, while a one-night census by the Canadian Council for Social Development in 1987 found 10,672 people in emergency shelters—undoubtedly an undercounting of the true homeless. Up to half of the homeless in Canada now are believed to be families with children. A wide array of factors contributes to homelessness, but they can be thought of as falling into one of two categories: structural problems and individual factors that increase vulnerability. Structural problems include a lack of affordable housing, changes in the industrial economy leading to unemployment, inadequate income supports, the deinstitutionalization of patients with mental health problems, and the erosion of family and social support. Added to this are factors that increase an individual's vulnerability, such as physical or mental illness, disability, substance abuse, domestic violence, or job loss. Reducing homelessness will mean addressing issues such as these.

The health effects of homelessness include higher rates of infectious diseases, mental health problems, physical disorders, disability, and premature death. A United Kingdom report noted that those sleeping on the street on average lived only to their mid-to-late forties. Higher rates of infectious disease result from overcrowding, damp and cold living conditions, poor nutrition, lack of immunization, and inadequate access to health care services. There has been a particular concern with increased rates of tuberculosis (TB), particularly multiple drug-resistant TB. It has been reported, for example, that 48 percent of the homeless in Toronto test positive for TB. Another factor leading to increases in TB and other infectious diseases is the higher prevalence of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in those segments of the homeless population involved in drug abuse and prostitution. The conditions in which homeless people live also make them more prone to trauma. A study of street people in Toronto found that 40 percent had been the victims of assault in the previous year, while 43 percent of the women reported sexual harassment and 21 percent reported they had been raped in the previous year. These street people were also more than five times more likely to have been involved (as pedestrians) in a motor vehicle accident than the general population, and one in twelve of them had suffered frostbite in the previous year.

Homeless people are also more likely to suffer from cardiovascular, respiratory, arthritic, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders. The Toronto study found that arthritis and rheumatism were twice as frequent, emphysema and bronchitis five times as frequent, asthma two and one-half times as frequent, gastrointestinal problems twice as frequent, and epilepsy six times as frequent as in the general population.  Mental health problems contribute to and result from homelessness. The United Kingdom report noted that 9 to 26 percent of those living on the street have serious mental health problems (compared to 0.5 to 2% in the general population), while Canadian estimates are that 20 to 40 percent of those using shelters have substance abuse or psychiatric problems. Alcohol abuse and dependency is also very common in this population. But while such substance abuse and mental health problems contribute to homelessness, homelessness also contributes to these problems. The Toronto study, for example, found that one-third of the street people interviewed had feelings of worthlessness, that more than one in four (and almost two-thirds of the women) had contemplated suicide in the past year, and that one in twelve (and almost one in three of the women) had attempted suicide in that same period.

The increase in homelessness among families in recent years has focused increasing attention on the serious health problems faced by children living in hostels and temporary accommodation. These problems include disturbed sleep, mood swings, depression, and developmental delays, as well as increased rates of obesity, anemia, infections, injuries, and other health problems.  Health Services for the Homeless: Not surprisingly, given all their health problems, homeless people make significant demands on the health care system. The Toronto study found that in the previous year, two-thirds of street people had seen a physician, more than half had used emergency rooms, and one-quarter of them had been admitted to hospital. But at the same time, homeless people—both those living on the street and those living in hostels and temporary shelters— experience significant barriers in accessing care. These barriers include procedural barriers such as the need to have a home address or a health card, economic barriers in terms of purchasing necessary medications, medical supplies, or appropriate foods, and—perhaps worst of all—prejudice and rude treatment on the part of health care providers. It is particularly unfortunate that a group that is so vulnerable and has such high needs should suffer further indignity and prejudice from what are supposed to be the caring professions.

The APHA position paper concludes, "The persisting numbers of homeless people in America are an indictment of our collective failure to make basic ingredients of civilized society accessible to all citizens."  Homelessness is a significant public health and health care issue.  GOOD TO ACCOMMODATING HOMELESS