Search Library
Publication Date: 2019
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the association between child abuse and substance use among homeless women based on a framework of General Strain Theory, which emphasizes the strong relationship between deviant behaviors and personally experienced strain. In this study, as the strain associated with substance use, child abuse experience in the past was assessed. This research tested three hypotheses about (a) the association bet...
Publication Date: 2017
Background
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) has been recognized as an effective intervention and the national policy for addressing chronic homelessness in the United States. Due to an aging cohort of homeless adults and prioritizing those who are most vulnerable for housing, the health status of those entering PSH is likely worse than those previously reported in the literature.
Methods
This report examined the self-reported health and health...
Publication Date: 2014
Studies of homeless individuals typically sample subjects from few types of sites or regions within a metropolitan area. This article focuses on the biases that can result from such a practice. We obtained a probability sample of 419 homeless youth from 41 sites (shelters, drop-in centers, and streets) in four regions of Los Angeles County (LAC). We found that restricting the frame to only certain types of sites or geographic regions biased the s...
Publication Date: 2001
Violence against women is a significant public health, criminal, and social problem, but survey research with a focus on homeless women's experiences of violence is limited. Using self-report data from a probability sample of 974 homeless women in Los Angeles County, California, this study examines severity of homelessness, social and family characteristics, subsistence activities, and alcohol and drug abuse or dependence as predictors of major v...
Publication Date: 2001
For some sample-based studies of the homeless, it may be relevant to adopt a period perspective, in which analyses focus on the mix of persons who experiences homelessness at least once during some period of time, not just the mix of persons at a point in time. Period perspective presumably can be enhanced by weights that account for the intermittent nature of homelessness, but such weighting invites implementation problems related to calculation...
Publication Date: 1999
The purpose of this study was to describe the associations between intimate relationships, characterized in terms of presence or absence of conflictive interaction with the partner, and the health and well-being of homeless women. A sample of 558 homeless women were administered structured interviews by trained nurses or outreach workers of the participants' ethnicity. Women answered questions about their general physical health, health-threateni...
Publication Date: 2013
Substance use, housing instability, and transactional sex all contribute to HIV risk engagement among homeless women. Because of the increased risk of HIV among homeless women, this study sought to understand the context of sexual behaviors and condom use among homeless women and elucidate modifiable factors that can be targeted by interventions. <b>Methods</b> Homeless women (n = 45) participated in focus groups...
Publication Date: 2013
In this study, we used a mixed methods approach to explore the determinants of relationship patterns and risky sex among homeless men living in downtown Los Angeles. This involved analysis of qualitative interviews focused on gender ideology and sexual events (n = 30) as well as structured interviews (n = 305) focused on homeless men’s sexual partners, sexual behaviors, and social networks. We found that men valued committed relationships but wer...
Publication Date: 2012
We conducted qualitative interviews (n = 30) with homeless men using shelters and meal lines in downtown Los Angeles (Skid Row) to better understand how such men view the risks of sexual encounters with female partners (Authors).
Homeless men in the U.S. represent a large and growing population, and have elevated rates of HIV/AIDS and sexual risk behaviors, including unprotected sex with women. We conducted qualitative interviews (n = 30) with ho...
Publication Date: 2012
Objective: Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is an emerging epidemic in the U.S. Homeless men experience higher risk for substance misuse and associated health problems and are particularly vulnerable to PDM and its negative health consequences. Methods: Participants were a representative probability sample of 305 heterosexually-active homeless men interviewed from meal programs in the Skid Row region of LA. Interviews assessed demographics, substan...
Unprotected Sex Among Heterosexually Active Homeless Men: Results from a Multi-level Dyadic Analysis
Publication Date: 2012
This research uses multi-level modeling to investigate the context of unprotected sex among heterosexually active homeless men in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles (Authors).
Publication Date: 2012
CONTEXT
Pregnancy rates are substantially higher among homeless youth than in the general population of youth, yet little is known about homeless adolescents’ and young adults’ pregnancy-related attitudes and behaviors.
METHODS
Pregnancy-related attitudes and behaviors were examined among two samples of sexually active homeless 13–24-year-olds in Los Angeles County. Data from 37 semistructured interviews conducted in March–April 2011 were analyze...
Publication Date: 2012
Objective: Understanding factors associated with heavy drinking among homeless youth is important for prevention efforts. Social networks are associated with drinking among homeless youth, and studies have called for attention to racial differences in networks that may affect drinking behavior. This study investigates differences in network characteristics by the racial background of homeless youth, and associations of network characteristics wit...
Publication Date: 2012
Homeless youth lack the traditional support networks of their housed peers, which increases their risk for poor health outcomes. Using a multilevel dyadic analytic approach, this study identified characteristics of social contacts, relationships, and social networks associated with the provision of tangible and emotional support to homeless youth (N = 419, M age = 20.09, SD = 2.80). Support providers were likely to be family members, sex partners...
Publication Date: 2012
This study examined the association between individual (HIV risk) and structural (service access) factors and past year HIV testing. (Authors)
Publication Date: 2012
HIV continues to be a serious public health problem for men who have sex with women (MSW), especially homeless MSW. Although consideration of gender has improved HIV prevention interventions, most of the research and intervention development has targeted how women's HIV risk is affected by gender roles. The effect of gender roles on MSW has received relatively little attention. Previous studies have shown mixed results when investigating the asso...
Publication Date: 2011
This study used an event-based approach to understand condom use in a probability sample of 309 homeless youth recruited from service and street sites in Los Angeles County. Condom use was significantly less likely when hard drug use preceded sex, the relationship was serious, the partners talked about “pulling out”, or sex occurred in a non-private place (and marginally less likely when heavier drinking preceded sex, or the partnership was monog...
Publication Date: 2012
Purpose: There is growing interest in network-based interventions to reduce HIV sexual risk behavior among both homeless youth and men who have sex with men. The goal of this study was to better understand the social network and individual correlates of sexual risk behavior among homeless young men who have sex with men (YMSM) to inform these HIV prevention efforts.
Methods: A multistage sampling design was used to recruit a probability sample of...
Publication Date: 2011
Sexual concurrency poses significant HIV/STI transmission risk. The correlates of concurrency have not been examined among homeless men. A representative sample of 305 heterosexually active homeless men utilizing meal programs in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles reported on their mental health, substance use, and social network characteristics. Nearly 40% of men reported concurrency with one of their four most recent sex partners. Results indicat...
Publication Date: 2012
OBJECTIVE: Childhood abuse has been linked to negative sequelae for women later in life including drug and alcohol use and violence as victim or perpetrator and may also affect the development of women's social networks. Childhood abuse is prevalent among at-risk populations of women (such as the homeless) and thus may have a stronger impact on their social networks. We conducted a study to: (a) develop a typology of sheltered homeless women's so...