Health Deficits Among People Experiencing Homelessness in an Australian Capital City: An Observational Study

TL;DR

This study examines health issues among homeless people in an Australian city, revealing significant health deficits and accelerated aging.

Contribution

The study introduces a practical health assessment pathway to address accelerated aging in homeless populations.

Findings

44.2% of participants were clinically frail, indicating accelerated aging.

90.6% showed health risks due to nutritional deficiencies.

55.3% reported psychological distress, highlighting mental health challenges.

Abstract

People experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness face challenges that result in poorer health outcomes compared to those in stable housing. This study provides the results of over 40 health measures that capture the health status of a group of people in temporary accommodation due to experiencing homelessness, aged 22 to 84 years, in an inner-city location, invited to participate in a comprehensive assessment of physical and psychological health. Evidence of accelerated ageing was found, with 44.2% of people being clinically frail, 63% having poor functional movement, and 36% having pain associated with oral health. Additionally, 90.6% of participants showed health risks due to nutritional deficiencies, over half reported poor sleep quality, 55.3% reported having psychological distress, and almost half reported fair or poor overall dental health. This study suggests a pathway to providing a relatively easily implemented series of health assessments to help respond to a group of underlying causes for accelerated ageing among a group of inner-city people experiencing homelessness. This work can be used to inform the prioritisation and development of community-based health services to address functional deficits that may contribute to accelerated ageing.