Homelessness, Health Status, and Health Care Use

Authors: Schanzer, Bella; Dominguez, Boanerges; Shrout, Patrick; Caton, Carol

Journal Name: American Journal of Public Health

Publication Date: 2007

Objectives. Little is known about the health status of those who are newly homeless. We sought to describe the health status and health care use of new clients of homeless shelters and observe changes in these health indicators over the study period. Methods. We conducted a longitudinal study of 445 individuals from their entry into the homeless shelter system through the subsequent 18 months. Results. Disease was prevalent in the newly homeless. This population acc...

Tags: health

Housing and Health: Time Again for Public Health Action

Authors: Krieger, James; Higgins, Donna

Journal Name: American Journal of Public Health

Publication Date: 2002

Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health. Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health. Public health has long been involved in housing issues. In the 19th century, health officials targeted poor sanitation, crowding, and inadequate ventilation...

Tags: housing; mental health; health

Health and Health Needs of Homeless and Runaway Youth

Authors: Deisher, Robert W.; Brown, Richard; Kulig, John W.

Journal Name: Journal of Adolescent Health

Publication Date: 1992

Runaway and homeless adolescents are youth who live without the support of traditional societal structures, such as family, school, church, and community institutions. (Author)

Tags: youth; adolescents; runaway and homeless youth; health

The Role of Research in Health and Mental Health Social Work

Authors: Cheetham, Juliet

Journal Name: Social Work in Health Care

Publication Date: 1997

Without abstract.

Tags: research and evaluation; advocacy and policy; mental health; health; consumer involvement

Perspectives of Homeless People on Their Health and Health Needs Priorities

Authors: Daiski, Isolde

Journal Name: Journal of Advanced Nursing

Publication Date: 2007

Aim: This paper is a report of a study of the perspectives of homeless individuals on their health and healthcare needs. Background: Many studies show the high incidence and severity of diseases, physical and mental, amongst the homeless populations. However, the views of homeless people themselves are usually omitted. In order to provide appropriate care, healthcare professionals need to be aware of these perspectives. Method: A descriptive, exploratory design, using semi...

Tags: health; health care systems

Homelessness and Health: Social Determinants of Health in York Region

Authors: Mooi, Carolyn

Organization: York Region Alliance to End Homelessness

Publication Date: 2010

Health outcomes are not only determined by access to medical resources or individual decisions, but also a variety of other situational circumstances and living conditions referred to as the social determinants of health. The ability of homeless and at-risk people to maintain good health is a recognized challenge in York Region. However, there are a very limited number of studies that document the specific health-related challenges of homeless and at-risk individual...

Tags: health; access to health care; living conditions

Work and Health: Exploring the impact of employment on health disparities

Authors: Block, Sheila

Publication Date: 2010

The Wellesley Institute’s newest Director of Economic Analysis Sheila Block is analyzing the impact of employment on health disparities. Our working lives are an essential contributor to what keeps us healthy and what makes us sick. This recent backgrounder, Work and Health: Exploring the impact of employment on health disparities explores the linkages between labour market policies, employment conditions, working conditions and health disparities.

Tags: health; working conditions; labour market

Hispanic Access to Health/Mental Health Services

Authors: Ruiz, Pedro

Journal Name: Psychiatric Quarterly

Publication Date: 2002

Currently, the Hispanic population of the United States is growing very rapidly. Despite the significance of this growth and the fact that it is expected that Hispanics will be soon the largest ethnic minority group in this country, the access to health/mental health care for the Hispanic population is rather limited. Many factors are currently affecting the Hispanics' access to health/mental health care services. Among them, cultural and language barriers, insuf...

Tags: cultural and linguistic issues; health care systems; health; mental health; racial and economic disparities

Population Health: The New Agenda

Publication Date: 2009

What determines your health? Genetics? Doctors? Drugs? But what about the neighborhood you live in? Your job? The amount of money you earn? These are called the social determinants of health, and they can expose more than you think.

Tags: health

Health Needs of Homeless Persons

Authors: Ensign Bowdler, J; Mill Barrell, L

Journal Name: Public Health Nursing

Publication Date: 2007

This study assessed the multidimensional health needs of the homeless population of Richmond, Virginia, using the Neuman systems model as the conceptual framework. A combination of indicator, key informant, and survey approaches was implemented. Specific health problems existed in the economic, social, mental, and physical health variables. Many of the homeless persons reported being single, having family problems, and being unemployed. Of particular interest were findings o...

Tags: health; mental health; health care systems; unemployment

Intergrated Behavioral Health Program

Organization: Community Health Care Centers

A collaborative program involving the city of Austin's Federally Qualified Community Health Care Centers (CHC) and the Austin Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center (ATCMHMR). The E-Merge program intergrates behavioral health care services within the primary health care clinics in an effort to comprehensively address the needs of the patient population. The goal of the program, is to assist patients in achieving both imporved physical health...

Tags: families; health

Homelessness & Health Care

Authors: Kraybill, Ken; Morrison, S

Publication Date: 2009

This fact sheet provides information about many common problems faced by individuals experiencing homelessness in accessing and utilizing health related services.

Tags: health

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Khmer Health Advocates (KHA)

KHA cares for the health needs of survivors of the Mahandorai (the Cambodian holocaust) and their families. As the only Cambodian health organization in the United States, KHA provides care for people in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts and advocates for survivors across the Nation.

Tags: underserved populations; homelessness; health

Oral Health Needs of the Homeless

Authors: Collins, James; Freeman, Ruth

Journal Name: British Dental Journal

Publication Date: 2007

Aim: The aim was to assess the oral health needs of a homeless population residing in North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust area, in order to determine levels of unmet need and allow recommendations for service delivery to be made. Method: A sample of single homeless people was gathered using a snowballing sampling technique. Fourteen hostels located in North and West Belfast were visited in tandem with the homeless healthcare co-ordinator. All consenting participa...

Tags: health

American Public Health Association

Publication Date: 2007

Founded in 1872, the American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats. APHA represents a broad array of health officials, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health providers at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations...

Tags: organizations; prevention; legislation; health

Health Education for Homeless Populations

Authors: May, K. M.; Evans, G. G.

Journal Name: Journal of Community Health Nursing

Publication Date: 1994

There is little reported in the literature regarding evaluation of health education for homeless populations. In a program for health education of the homeless in shelters, volunteer instructors, including nurses, provided classes on health promotion, prevention, and self-care for homeless clients at 13 urban shelters and treatment sites since 1991. Program evaluation was done through a survey of clients (N = 1,202) attending classes. Based on analysis of evaluation results...

Tags: health education; homelessness; health promotion; health; Demography & Characteristics of Homelessness; Health Problems and Poverty

Dental Health of Homeless Adults

Authors: Celberg, Lillian; Linn, Lawerence S.; Rosenberg, Dara J.

Journal Name: Special Care in Dentistry: July/August, 1988.

Publication Date: 1988

...to be older, have physical health problems, smoke more cigarettes, use more alcohol, and have worse personal hygiene. Age, not length of homelessness, was the most important predictor variable of missing teeth. Thus, homeless adults have a higher degree of dental pathosis as well as a lower use of dental services than the general population. On the basis of these findings, more accessible dental services need to be designed for the homeless population (authors).

Tags: health

American Journal of Public Health

Journal Name: American Journal of Public Health

Publication Date: 2000

This issue of the American Journal of Public Health contains multiple articles dealing with health care, and topics that lead to homeless issues, such as domestic violence, childhood sexual abuse, adolescent violence, psychiatric morbidity, and HIV. (HRC)

Tags: health; background and context; violence; children; youth; mental health

The Health Consequences of Poverty in Canada.

Authors: Turnbull, J.; Podymow, T.

Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Public Health

Publication Date: 2002

Poverty remains prevalent in Canada despite social and economic prosperity. Vulnerable populations including new immigrants, Aboriginal peoples, single parent families and the elderly constitute a growing percentage of the lower extreme of the socioeconomic scale.

Tags: health; poverty; consequences; Health Problems and Poverty

National Institute of Mental Health

Publication Date: 2007

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal government's principal biomedical and behavioral research agency. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIMH Mission The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. This public health mandate demands that we harness powerful scient...

Tags: organizations; mental health; programs; health; substance use