Search Library
Publication Date: 2018
Drop-in centers for homeless youth take a low barrier approach to addressing both their basic needs (e.g., food, hygiene, clothing) and higher level needs (e.g., substance use treatment, mental health care, HIV/STD-related programs). Prior studies indicate that youth who use drop-in centers show improvements in health-related behaviors over time. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with drop-in center attendance in this p...
Publication Date: 2017
Conducting intervention studies with homeless populations can be difficult, particularly in terms of retaining participants across multiple sessions and locating them for subsequent follow-up assessments. Homeless youth are even more challenging to engage due to substance use, mental health problems, wariness of authority figures, and frequent relocations. This article describes methods used to successfully recruit a sample of 200 homeless youth...
Publication Date: 2017
Homeless young adults ages 18–25 exhibit high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, and sexual risk behaviors such as unprotected sex. Yet few programs exist for this population that are both effective and can be easily incorporated into settings serving this population. This pilot cluster cross-over randomized controlled trial evaluates AWARE, a voluntary four session group-based motivational interviewing (MI) intervention to reduce AOD use...
Publication Date: 2016
Drop-in centers for homeless youth address basic needs for food, hygiene, and clothing but can also provide critical services that address youth's “higher level” needs (e.g., substance use treatment, mental health care, HIV-related programs). Unlike other services that have restrictive rules, drop-in centers typically try to break down barriers and take a “come as you are” approach to engaging youth in services. Given their popularity, drop-in ce...
Publication Date: 2016
Background
Individuals transitioning from homelessness to housing face challenges to reducing alcohol, drug and HIV risk behaviors. To aid in this transition, this study developed and will test a computer-assisted intervention that delivers personalized social network feedback by an intervention facilitator trained in motivational interviewing (MI). The intervention goal is to enhance motivation to reduce high risk alcohol and other drug (AOD) us...
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: 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...
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...
Publication Date: 2011
Background Homeless men may be at particular risk for the negative health effects of substance use. This cross-sectional study investigates the individual and personal network risk factors associated with substance use in this vulnerable population. Methods Participants were a representative probability sample of 305 heterosexually active homeless men interviewed from meal programs in the Skid Row region of Los Angeles, CA. Interviews as...