Homeless and runaway youths' access to health care.
Homeless and runaway youths' access to health care.
复制标题
无家可归和离家出走的青少年获得医疗保健的机会。
DOI：
10.1016/s1054-139x(00)00146-4
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发表时间：
2000
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Ringwalt,C
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Klein,JD;Woods,AH;Wilson,KM;Prospero,M;Greene,J;Ringwalt,C
目的描述无家可归的青少年和街头青年使用保健服务和自我报告获得常规和紧急护理的情况。方法由观察者管理的调查涉及卫生服务的使用情况、急诊护理来源的可得性以及所使用的护理来源的类型。对街头青年使用了用于收容所青年的问卷的简化版。对640名庇护青年的全国代表性样本和600名12-21岁街头青年的有目的样本进行了访谈。所有数据都是在1992年收集的。结果一半的街头青年和36%的庇护青年没有正规的卫生保健来源（p≤0.05）。四分之一的街头青年和18%的庇护青年在过去一年中也报告了严重的健康问题（p≤0.05）。街头青年比庇护青年更有可能使用紧急治疗（36%对29%；p≤0.05）和与酒精或毒品有关的紧急治疗（25%对13%；p≤0.05）。有正规护理来源的庇护青年比没有初级保健来源的庇护青年更有可能使用非紧急场所（46%对20%；p≤0.001）。很少有受庇护青年或街头青年认为庇护所诊所、离家出走青年诊所或免费青年诊所可以满足他们的紧急护理需要。结论：大量无家可归的青少年没有正规的医疗保健来源。那些有固定护理来源的人更有可能在常规护理和紧急护理之间保持连续性。将保健服务与为收容所或街头青年提供服务的其他机构结合起来，可以改善那些没有常规护理来源的人获得护理的机会，并为这些高风险青年提供更好的连续性。
PurposeTo describe use of health services and self-reported access to regular and emergency care by homeless adolescents and street youth.MethodsInterviewer-administered surveys addressed use of health services, availability of sources of care for emergencies, and types of care sources used. An abbreviated version of the questionnaire used for youth in shelters was used for street youth. A nationally representative sample of 640 sheltered youth and a purposive sample of 600 street youth aged 12–21 years were interviewed. All data were collected in 1992.ResultsHalf of street youth and 36% of sheltered youth did not have a regular source of health care (p ≤ .05). One-fourth of street youth and 18% of sheltered youth also reported serious health problems within the past year (p ≤ .05). Street youth were more likely than sheltered youth to have used emergency treatment (36% vs. 29%; p ≤ .05) and alcohol- or drug-related emergency treatment (25% vs. 13%; p ≤ .05). Sheltered youth with a regular source of care were more likely to use nonemergency sites than those without a source of primary care (46% vs. 20%; p ≤ .001). Few sheltered or street youth perceived shelter clinics, clinics for runaway youth, or free youth clinics to be available to meet their emergency care needs.ConclusionsSignificant numbers of homeless youth did not have a regular source of health care. Those who had a regular source of care were more likely to have continuity between routine and emergency care. Integration of health services with other agencies serving youth in shelters or on the street may improve access to care for those without a routine source of care and provide better continuity for these high-risk youth.