This work analyses the difficulties encounter to determine who should be considered a homeless person in a developing country, and the result of a point-in-time count of homeless people done in the city of Leon (185,000 inhabitants), Nicaragua. Throughout the point-in-time count, 82 unduplicated persons living homeless were tallied (76% male; 23% female); 11% were under age. Half of the homeless detected seemed to have problems related to mental health, alcohol and drugs, and/or wounds, dermatological or dental problems. Sixty-nine percent showed a bad physical appearance, 74% had poor personal hygiene, and 80% had the dirty or very dirty clothes.

Homelessness is a global phenomenon that affects groups in situations of poverty and social exclusion, in both developed and developing nations. However, the scientific literature on homeless people in developing countries is scant. This work shows the difficulties defining homelessness and examines the necessary criteria for who will be deemed a homeless person in a developing country. Furthermore, the results of the Point-In-Time (PIT) count of homeless people-a measure of the number of homeless people on a specific day-done in the city of León, Nicaragua (population: 185,000). Throughout the PIT count, 82 unduplicated people living in homelessness were tallied (76% male, 23% female), of which 47 answered a questionnaire. Most of the homeless people in León are male, mestizo, of Nicaraguan nationality, with a primary level education or less, and in a situation of chronic homelessness. Results showed a mean age of 47 years for these individuals. Most of the homeless people showed a bad physical appearance, had poor personal hygiene, and wore dirty clothing. Around half of the homeless observed seemed to have problems related to mental health, alcohol, and/or drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences for women, and their vulnerability is increased if their experiences related to abuse occurred at an early age. This study examines the risk of experiencing stressful life events (SLE) during the lives of Nicaraguan victims of IPV in situations of extreme poverty according to their exposure to episodes of violence in their family of origin. In the study participated 136 women victims of IPV living in the marginal areas of the city of León (Nicaragua). They were contacted through the Nicaraguan Commissariat for Women (CW). The results indicate an increased risk of experiencing SLE in the lives of those who suffered abuse in their family of origin and/or witnessed abuse of their mother. Identifying abuse suffered in childhood is a priority because of its consequences, as growing up in environments that tolerate violence may lead to a chronification of subsequent abuse.

Suffering traumatic experiences linked to violence seems to be related to suicide attempts, especially, when the physical or sexual abuse has been experienced at an early age. This study examines the relationship between the history of abuse and suicide attempts among women victims of violence living in poverty in Nicaragua. This sample was subjected to a particularly serious range of stressful situations and experiences related to violence throughout their lives. The results show that women who experienced abuse during childhood were more likely to report a history of suicide attempts than women without a history of childhood abuse. Therefore, suicide attempts seem to be related more to those traumatic experiences during childhood than to violence suffered afterward. Identifying this type of abuse is particularly important because of its implications for the victims' health, as suicide attempts are maladaptive behaviors with which the women in the sample could have been addressing the trauma they experienced in their childhood. It is, therefore, necessary to highlight this problem in a developing country, which has been the focus of a limited number of studies, and where there are no support mechanisms for victims whose rights have been violated.