J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2020;31(4):1656-1668. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2020.0125.
The quality of housing, the neighborhood in which one lives, and community social structures all affect one's physical and mental health. We conducted a qualitative evaluation of one non-profit organization's mission to provide furniture and household goods to low-income families. Based on semi-structured interviews with 20 clients and 15 caseworkers, we assessed how furniture and household goods contributed to individuals' sense of home and overall well-being. Results of our thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) respect; (2) creating a home; (3) physical comfort; and (4) emotional well-being. Participants described how the absence of furniture, dishes, and other goods affected their self-esteem, mental health, and physical health. This study suggests the need to include the presence or absence of furniture in housing quality assessments. Social support services that provide access to low-cost, quality furniture to low-income families should exist in parallel with housing support programs.
住房质量、居住社区以及社区社会结构都影响着一个人的身心健康。我们对一个非营利组织的使命进行了定性评估，该组织的使命是向低收入家庭提供家具和家庭用品。通过对 20 名客户和 15 名工作人员进行半结构化访谈，我们评估了家具和家庭用品如何有助于个人的归属感和整体幸福感。我们的主题分析结果揭示了四个主题：（1）尊重；（2）创造一个家；（3）身体舒适度；和（4）情绪健康。参与者描述了缺乏家具、餐具和其他物品如何影响他们的自尊心、心理健康和身体健康。这项研究表明，有必要将家具的有无纳入住房质量评估中。为低收入家庭提供低成本、高质量家具的社会支持服务应该与住房支持计划并行存在。
