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Published in: The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 2/2009

01-04-2009 | Special Issue

Hospitalizations Among Homeless Women: Are There Ethnic and Drug Abuse Disparities?

Authors: Lillian Gelberg, MD, MSPH, Ronald Andersen, PhD, Douglas Longshore, PhD, Barbara Leake, PhD, Adeline Nyamathi, ANP, PhD, FAAN, Cheryl Teruya, PhD, Lisa Arangua, MPP

Published in: The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research | Issue 2/2009

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Abstract

This paper explores associations among the vulnerabilities of being female, being a member of a minority group, and being a drug abuser in homeless women’s hospitalizations. It uses a 1997 probability survey of 974 homeless females age 15–44 in Los Angeles. In unadjusted analyses, whites were more likely than other ethnic minority groups to be hospitalized, and drug abusers were more likely to be hospitalized than non-drug abusers. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that factors associated with hospitalization differed considerably among the ethnic and drug-abuse subgroups. For example, ethnic disparities in inpatient health care were found for drug-abusing women, but not for those who did not abuse drugs. Pregnancy was the only important determinant of hospitalization in all subgroups (OR, 2.9–17.4). Preventing unintended pregnancy appears to be the most inclusive means of reducing hospitalization and attendant costs among homeless women.
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Metadata
Title
Hospitalizations Among Homeless Women: Are There Ethnic and Drug Abuse Disparities?
Authors
Lillian Gelberg, MD, MSPH
Ronald Andersen, PhD
Douglas Longshore, PhD
Barbara Leake, PhD
Adeline Nyamathi, ANP, PhD, FAAN
Cheryl Teruya, PhD
Lisa Arangua, MPP
Publication date
01-04-2009
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research / Issue 2/2009
Print ISSN: 1094-3412
Electronic ISSN: 2168-6793
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-008-9144-0

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