Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Homeless Adults Aged 50 and Older in Oakland, CA (N = 350), by Living Environment
| Characteristic | All participants (n = 350) | Unsheltered (n = 162) | Multiple location users (n = 88) | Cohabiters (n = 57) | Recently homeless (n = 43) | P valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | ||||||
| Age, median years (IQR) | 58 (54, 61) | 57 (54, 61) | 58 (54, 61) | 56 (53, 61) | 59 (56, 63) | 0.07 |
| Male, No. (%) | 270 (77.1) | 139 (85.8) | 71 (80.7) | 31 (54.4) | 29 (67.4) | <.001 |
| Race/ethnicity, No. (%) | 0.39 | |||||
| African American | 278 (79.7) | 133 (82.1) | 71 (80.7) | 45 (79.0) | 30 (69.8) | |
| White | 38 (10.9) | 16 (9.9) | 10 (11.4) | 4 (7.0) | 8 (18.6) | |
| Latino | 16 (4.6) | 8 (4.9) | 4 (4.6) | 3 (5.3) | 1 (2.3) | |
| Other | 17 (4.9) | 5 (3.1) | 3 (3.4) | 3 (8.8) | 4 (9.3) | |
| Currently married or partnered, No. (%) | 30 (8.6) | 13 (8.0) | 8 (9.1) | 5 (8.8) | 4 (9.3) | 0.12 |
| Less than high school education, No. (%) | 90 (25.7) | 45 (27.8) | 24 (27.3) | 12 (21.1) | 9 (20.9) | 0.87 |
| First episode of adult homelessness age 50 or older, No. (%) | 152 (43.6) | 58 (35.8) | 34 (38.6) | 32 (56.1) | 26 (60.5) | .003 |
| Health status | ||||||
| Fair or poor, No. (%) | 195 (55.7) | 97 (60.0) | 45 (51.1) | 27 (47.4) | 26 (60.5) | 0.27 |
| Chronic medical conditions, No. (%) | ||||||
| Hypertension | 195 (56.0) | 85 (52.5) | 58 (66.7) | 31 (55.4) | 21 (48.8) | 0.12 |
| Coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction | 32 (9.1) | 15 (9.3) | 6 (6.8) | 6 (10.5) | 5 (11.6) | 0.79 |
| Congestive heart failure | 25 (7.1) | 12 (7.4) | 5 (5.7) | 4 (7.0) | 4 (9.3) | 0.90 |
| Diabetes | 49 (14.0) | 16 (9.9) | 15 (17.1) | 11 (19.3) | 7 (16.7) | 0.21 |
| Stroke | 39 (11.2) | 12 (7.5) | 15 (17.1) | 9 (15.8) | 3 (7.0) | 0.06 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma | 92 (26.3) | 41 (25.3) | 25 (28.4) | 17 (29.8) | 9 (20.1) | 0.73 |
| Arthritis | 156 (44.6) | 71 (43.8) | 46 (52.3) | 27 (47.4) | 12 (27.9) | 0.07 |
| HIV/AIDS | 19 (5.5) | 5 (3.1) | 8 (9.4) | 2 (3.6) | 4 (9.8) | 0.11 |
| Mental health status | ||||||
| History of mental health problem, No. (%)b | 249 (71.3) | 115 (71.4) | 65 (73.9) | 44 (77.2) | 25 (58.1) | 0.18 |
| History of psychiatric hospitalization, No. (%) | 66 (18.9) | 27 (16.7) | 21 (23.9) | 9 (15.8) | 9 (20.9) | 0.49 |
| Health-related behaviors | ||||||
| Current smoker, No. (%) | 229 (65.4) | 114 (70.4) | 53 (60.2) | 35 (61.4) | 27 (62.8) | 0.46 |
| Alcohol use problem, lifetime, No. (%)c | 206 (59.5) | 92 (57.9) | 56 (64.4) | 32 (56.1) | 26 (60.5) | 0.73 |
| Alcohol use problem, past 6 months, No. (%)d | 90 (25.8) | 51 (31.7) | 17 (19.3) | 15 (26.3) | 7 (16.3) | 0.08 |
| Illicit drug use problem, lifetime, No. (%)e | 206 (58.9) | 98 (60.5) | 53 (60.2) | 30 (52.6) | 25 (58.1) | 0.76 |
| Illicit drug use problem, past 6 months, No. (%)f | 177 (50.6) | 91 (56.2) | 43 (48.9) | 28 (49.1) | 15 (34.5) | 0.09 |
| Health service use and access | ||||||
| Has regular location to obtain health care, No. (%) | 252 (72.0) | 108 (66.7) | 74 (84.1) | 42 (73.7) | 28 (65.1) | 0.02 |
a P value calculated using Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric test for comparison of medians and chi-square tests for comparison of proportions.
bHistory of mental health problems defined as self-reported history of serious anxiety, depression, trouble controlling violent behavior, hallucinations that were not a result of substance use; had attempted suicide; or had been prescribed medication by a doctor for psychiatric or emotional problems.
cLife-time alcohol use problem defined a self-reported history of drinking to get drunk three or more times a week.
dAlcohol use problem, past 6 months defined as an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥8 (range 0–20; higher scores indicate more problems).
eLifetime drug use problem defined as self-reported use of drugs three or more times a week.
fDrug use problem, past 6 months defined as a World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test score for either cocaine, amphetamines, or opioids of ≥4 (range 0–39; higher scores indicate more problems).