Andrea K Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R Halladay
{"title":"北卡罗来纳州阿什维尔市无人居住的驱动因素和无人居住者健康状况的普遍性。","authors":"Andrea K Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R Halladay","doi":"10.36518/2689-0216.1594","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected and grouped to provide context.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most participants were White (71%) and identified as male (76%). Over 60% reported having a high school education or advanced degree. Of the participants, 76% reported being unhoused for more than 6 months, and their last permanent housing was in Western North Carolina. Dental disease, chronic pain, and hypertension were common physical conditions. PTSD, depression, and anxiety were common mental health conditions. A lack of transportation was the most noted socially determined challenge. Marijuana, methamphetamine, and alcohol were the most often used substances, where methamphetamine was noted to be particularly problematic for the participants.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Understanding the physical, mental, and social issues of the complex unhoused population can assist policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in addressing challenges and testing improvement strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73198,"journal":{"name":"HCA healthcare journal of medicine","volume":"5 2","pages":"75-85"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11229599/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Drivers of Being Unhoused and the Prevalence of Health Conditions among Unhoused Individuals in Asheville, NC.\",\"authors\":\"Andrea K Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R Halladay\",\"doi\":\"10.36518/2689-0216.1594\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected and grouped to provide context.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most participants were White (71%) and identified as male (76%). Over 60% reported having a high school education or advanced degree. Of the participants, 76% reported being unhoused for more than 6 months, and their last permanent housing was in Western North Carolina. Dental disease, chronic pain, and hypertension were common physical conditions. PTSD, depression, and anxiety were common mental health conditions. A lack of transportation was the most noted socially determined challenge. Marijuana, methamphetamine, and alcohol were the most often used substances, where methamphetamine was noted to be particularly problematic for the participants.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Understanding the physical, mental, and social issues of the complex unhoused population can assist policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in addressing challenges and testing improvement strategies.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":73198,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"HCA healthcare journal of medicine\",\"volume\":\"5 2\",\"pages\":\"75-85\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-04-30\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11229599/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"HCA healthcare journal of medicine\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.36518/2689-0216.1594\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2024/1/1 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"eCollection\",\"JCR\":\"\",\"JCRName\":\"\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"HCA healthcare journal of medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.36518/2689-0216.1594","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
Drivers of Being Unhoused and the Prevalence of Health Conditions among Unhoused Individuals in Asheville, NC.
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.
Methods: In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected and grouped to provide context.
Results: Most participants were White (71%) and identified as male (76%). Over 60% reported having a high school education or advanced degree. Of the participants, 76% reported being unhoused for more than 6 months, and their last permanent housing was in Western North Carolina. Dental disease, chronic pain, and hypertension were common physical conditions. PTSD, depression, and anxiety were common mental health conditions. A lack of transportation was the most noted socially determined challenge. Marijuana, methamphetamine, and alcohol were the most often used substances, where methamphetamine was noted to be particularly problematic for the participants.
Conclusion: Understanding the physical, mental, and social issues of the complex unhoused population can assist policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in addressing challenges and testing improvement strategies.