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Published on: January 20, 2023
Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Risk Factors in a Homeless Population
Naomi Bennett1, Joyce S Chung1, Marissa S Lundstern2
1Rehabilitation Services, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
Objective:
To characterize the traumatic brain injury (TBI) profile and its associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Santa Clara County, CA.
Design:
Observational cohort study.
Setting:
Two homeless shelter health clinics in Santa Clara County, CA.
Participants:
Currently or recently homeless individuals seeking health care at 2 homeless shelter health clinics between August 2013 and May 2014.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Demographics, TBI incidence and characteristics.
Results:
The findings indicate that TBI history in the homeless population was higher (79.7%) than in the general population (12%). Almost half of the population (49.2%) reported that their TBI occurred before the age of 18. Of the participants, 68.2% reported sustaining a TBI with loss of consciousness. TBI caused by violence (60%) was lower in this cohort than other homeless cohorts but was the main cause of injury regardless of age. Alcoholism was a risk factor for having more TBIs. No differences in TBI profile were found between sexes.
Conclusions:
Our findings underscore the need for more research on the lifetime risk factors associated with TBI to prevent and reduce the number of brain injuries in homeless populations.
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