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Gender differences among homeless people in Tehran, Iran

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Abstract

Aim

Gender differences among homeless people may affect the frequency of their risky behaviours. This study was conducted to evaluate the behaviour patterns of homeless men and women in Tehran and compare the probable differences.

Subject and methods

In this study, 593 homeless people were recruited from five centres that house homeless people in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to study behavioural patterns.

Results

In this study, homeless people (513 males and 80 females, all Iranian nationals) were enrolled in the study from June to August 2012. Mean age and mean duration of homelessness among women (35.46 and 12.68 months) were lower than those among men (42.74 and 56.85 months) (p = 0.001). Although lifetime history of incarceration in men was higher than in women (p = 0.002), mean duration of imprisonment in the last 10 years in men (21.25 months) and women (17.76 months) was not statistically different (p = 0.07). Accommodation locality in the past 6 months varied between men and women. Women were current drug users more often than men were (61.53 % versus 45.26 %) (p = 0.02). The type of drug consumption in women (methamphetamine) differed from that of men (opium and heroin). More men had a history of injecting drugs than did women (30.02 % versus 12.30 %) (p = 0.003). Condom use at the last sexual encounter was reported to be higher in women compared to men (74.60 % versus 26.62 %) (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

This study showed notable differences in behaviour patterns between homeless men and women and also indicated that homeless people in Tehran exhibit many risky behaviours.

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Acknowledgments

Our special thanks go to the research committee and ethics committee of the Pasteur Institute of Iran, which approved this project (no. 1716) and the Centre for Communicable Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which supported this project financially. The research team is grateful for the technical support of Dr Mohammad Mehdi Gouya, and Dr Noushin Fahimfar (CDC Iran), Dr Kayhan Azadmanesh (Pasteur Institute of Iran) and Dr Ali Akbar Haghdoost (WHO Collaboration Centre and Regional Knowledge Hub for HIV/AIDS surveillance) and for the logistical support of Dr Saber Esmaeili (Pasteur Institute of Iran), Mr. Zare Sefat, Dr Jahangiri, Dr Rahimloo Aghdam and Mr. Shahmiri (Welfare Organization, Tehran Municipality) and all the employees of the Khavaran, Bahman, Lavizan and EslamShahr shelters and the Shafagh camp who helped us with the sampling process.

Conflict of interest

All authors: no conflicts.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, No. 69, Pasteur Ave., 1316943551, Tehran, Iran

    Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri & Ehsan Mostafavi

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Factually of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri

  3. Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

    Abbas Sedaghat

  4. Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (Akanlu), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran

    Ehsan Mostafavi

Authors
  1. Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri
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  2. Abbas Sedaghat
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  3. Ehsan Mostafavi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ehsan Mostafavi.

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Bagheri Amiri, F., Sedaghat, A. & Mostafavi, E. Gender differences among homeless people in Tehran, Iran. J Public Health 22, 461–465 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-014-0633-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-014-0633-8

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