Perceived Health Problems of Young Single-Person Households in Housing Poverty Living in Seoul, South Korea: A Qualitative Study

Jisun Kim and Seunghyun Yoo
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Jisun Kim: Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
Seunghyun Yoo: Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: There is an increased prevalence of housing poverty among urban young adults; however, research on housing poverty and health is lacking. This study examined the effects of housing poverty on the health concepts of young people living alone. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 single-person households, with individuals aged 19–39 years, living in Seoul, the demographic group with the highest housing poverty rate in South Korea. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. Based on the health concepts of the respondents, housing poverty negatively affected health in terms of “the occurrence and continuation of anxiety,” “the increase and continuation of lethargy,” “the difficulty in managing daily life and taking care of health,” “the lack of a dependable support person,” and “the difficulty in preventing and treating disease.” The majority of young people experienced difficulties responding to their situations, and their housing poverty was hard to overcome. This study suggests the need to expand healthy housing policies, strengthen housing safety nets, and enhance access to public resources needed for a healthy living.

Keywords: young adult health; housing poverty; single-person household; minimum housing standard; housing affordability; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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