Summary
This article is about homeless people and their disproportionately high rates of viral hepatitis. The Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations was used to predict prevalence and awareness of hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C (HCV) infection, as well as health services utilization among homeless adults.
For this study, 534 homeless adults in Los Angeles' "Skid Row" were interviewed and tested for HBV/HCV. Forty-three percent had HBV/HCV and 72 percent of these adults did not know they had HBC/HCV. Adults who had used drugs intravenously, had a history of alcohol use, were older and had engaged in risky sexual behavior were more likely to have HBV/HCV. Adults who had no regular source of care, risky sexual behavior, less case management, and were older were more likely to not know they had HBV/HCV. As for health care utilization, those who had more medical conditions and had spent more time homeless were more likely to have been hospitalized. Hospitalizations were less frequent among African Americans and males.
Researchers concluded that the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model provided a useful guide for predicting whether a person was HBV/HCV positive as well as health care utilization in homeless adults. More aggressive detection of hepatitis B and C among homeless adults is needed.