Mortality among homeless shelter residents in New York City

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 89; no. 4; pp. 529 - 534
• Main Authors: Barrow, S M, Herman, D B, Cordova, P, Struening, E L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01-04-1999; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Alcohol use; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic Disease; Disability; Drug abuse; Drug use; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Homeless people; Homeless Persons - statistics & numerical data; Homelessness; Humans; Interviews; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health care; Middle Aged; Mortality; Needs Assessment; New York City - epidemiology; Polls & surveys; Population; Predictive Value of Tests; Prisoners; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public Housing; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Shelters; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban Health; Womens health; New York; United States; North America; America; New York City; United States > US; New York City New York; Human; Homeless; Predictor; Mortality; Rate; Prediction; Epidemiology; Indicator; Public health; Americas; New York; Residence Characteristics; Differential Mortality; Drug Usage; United States; Homeless Persons; Data Collection; Research Methodology; North America; Geographic Factors; Northern America; Developed Countries; Data Linkage; Population; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Population Dynamics; Prisoners; Spatial Distribution
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.89.4.529
• EISSN: 1541-0048
• ISSN: 0090-0036

This study examined the rates and predictors of mortality among sheltered homeless men and women in New York City.
Identifying data on a representative sample of shelter residents surveyed in 1987 were matched against national mortality records for 1987 through 1994. Standardized mortality ratios were computed to compare death rates among homeless people with those of the general US and New York City populations. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine predictors of mortality within the homeless sample.
Age-adjusted death rates of homeless men and women were 4 times those of the general US population and 2 to 3 times those of the general population of New York City. Among homeless men, prior use of injectable drugs, incarceration, and chronic homelessness increased the likelihood of death.
For homeless shelter users, chronic homelessness itself compounds the high risk of death associated with disease/disability and intravenous drug use. Interventions must address not only the health conditions of the homeless but also the societal conditions that perpetuate homelessness.