Prevalence of physical diseases, health behavior and health care utilization in single homeless men: a cross sectional study

• Published in: Sozial- und Präventivmedizin Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 42 - 50
• Main Authors: Völlm, Birgit, Becker, Hinnerk, Kunstmann, Wilfried
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Switzerland 2004
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eye Diseases - epidemiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - epidemiology; Health Behavior; Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Liver Diseases - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal Diseases - epidemiology; Nervous System Diseases - epidemiology; Physical Examination; Prevalence; Sex Factors; Skin Diseases - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tooth Diseases - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0303-8408
• DOI: 10.1007/s00038-003-3064-9

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of physical diseases, the subjective evaluation of their own health and health care utilization in the actually homeless and a comparison group of formerly homeless. A representative sample of 82 homeless and 37 formerly homeless was studied. Instruments were a physical examination and a standardized interview. The latter included parts of the assessment of the German cardiovascular disease prevention study and the questionnaire "Funktionseinschränkungen" (functional impairments) by Potthoff (1982). Disease prevalence was high. The main diagnoses fell within the categories of defective dental status (over 80%), ophthalmologic diseases (over 60%) and diseases of the liver and musculoskeletal system (over 40% each). Morbidity in the formerly homeless was even higher. In both groups the subjective evaluation of their own health was unrealistically positive. Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases were high. Health care utilization was mainly acute. The medical care of the homeless in standard medical services is insufficient and could be improved by especially tailored projects which should include education about risk factors. Formerly homeless continue to show high disease prevalence.