Citation

Amery J, Tomkins A, Victor C. Public Health 1995; 109(6): 421-424.

Affiliation

Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8570802

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of behavioural problems amongst homeless primary school-age children in an outer London borough. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of homeless primary school children and permanently housed control children. SETTING: Selected primary schools in an outer London borough. SUBJECTS: Children from non-refugee families officially accepted as homeless by the local authority, and housed controls from the same schools. OUTCOME MEASURE: Rutter behavioural rating scale. RESULTS: Fewer homeless children (38%, 18 of 48) than housed (88%, 50 of 57) were born in the UK, or spoke English at home. Only 19 (40%) of the fathers of homeless children compared with 43 (75%) of housed children's fathers lived with them. Some 49% of homeless children's scores suggested a behavioural problem, compared with 11% of controls. Altogether, 94% of homeless and 100% of housed children were registered with a general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of behavioural problems were found in homeless children. With numbers of homeless children expected to rise in the 1990s this finding merits urgent attention.

Language: en