Medical problems of homeless and nonhomeless persons attending an inner-city clinic: a comparative study

The identification of homelessness as a national problem has focused attention on defining the needs of this sizable population. Existing studies on the medical problems of the homeless are largely descriptive and are limited by lack of comparison to nonhomeless persons. To help fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted a retrospective study of the medical problems of homeless and nonhomeless persons cared for in an outpatient clinic serving the medically indigent. Homeless persons (n = 150) were more likely to be identified as alcoholic and to be seen for cuts and gynecologic problems than nonhomeless persons (n = 154) (p less than .01). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of other illnesses considered to be prevalent in the homeless. This study is among the first that validates descriptive data on the health problems of homeless persons by using concurrent nonhomeless controls. It may help in designing programs to meet the medical needs of the homeless.