Value on Health, Health Concerns and Practices of Women Who Are Homeless

Abstract

ABSTRACT The fastest growing segment of the homeless population is women, many of whom have inadequately addressed health needs. Descriptive studies have captured the realities of homeless life that these women face from acquiring food and shelter to caring for their health. Few studies have examined the factors that are associated with the health-related behaviors of homeless women. This study adds to the homeless health behavior literature by investigating the importance of competing values in determining health-related practices in 105 homeless women. Health concerns (but not global value on health) were associated with basic health practices and health preventive/protective behaviors (e.g., brushing teeth, showering, being up-to-date on Pap smears). Women who reported greater importance attached to health concerns were more likely to report basic health practices and some preventive health behaviors. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.