Table 1.
Study participant characteristics and associations with emergency department (ED) use; July-December, 2020 (N=128).
| Prevalence of Study Characteristics | Unadjusted OR of ED Use(95% CI) | Adjusted OR of ED Use(95% CI) | |
| Age | Median=56 years | 0.97(0.94-1.00) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| Black (ref) | 51 (40%) | 1.0 | |
| White | 33 (26%) | 1.66(0.63-4.32) | 2.03(0.68-6.20) |
| Latina | 10 (8%) | 2.24(0.54-8.72) | 1.84(0.37-8.82) |
| Native American | 5 (4%) | 2.31(0.35- 13.37) | 0.82(0.07-8.61) |
| Asian/Pac. Island. | 4 (3%) | 3.24(0.46-23.11) | 4.33(0.44-42.14) |
| Multiracial | 20 (16%) | 4.26(1.51-12.63)* | 5.24(1.57-18.80)* |
| Other | 3 (2%) | 0.46(0.003-5.27) | 0.34(<0.01-4.93) |
| Homeless(slept in a shelter, on the street or other public place) | 49 (38%) | 5.00(2.32-11.15)* | 5.92(2.50-15.07)* |
| Made decisions about where to sleep based on fleeing or avoiding violence⌂ | 42 (33%) | 3.91(1.81-8.64)* | ◊ |
| Any unmet subsistence needs | 37 (29%) | 3.85(1.53-9.35)* | NS |
| Social isolation | 68 (53%) | 1.35(0.65-2.83) | |
| Alcohol use | 59 (46%) | 1.55(0.75-3.25) | |
| Cannabis use | 63 (49%) | 1.70(0.82-3.56) | |
| Cocaine use | 31 (24%) | 2.73(1.20-6.27)* | 3.13(1.12-9.27)* |
| Methamphetamine use | 27 (21%) | 1.15(0.29-2.03) | |
| Heroin, opioid pain medication or opioid pill use | 29 (23%) | 1.00(0.42-2.32) | |
| Any chronic medical condition (HIV, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, emphysema) | 102 (80%) | 1.81(0.71-5.10) | |
| Increased difficulties getting care or medication for a chronic medical conditionǂ since the pandemic | 28 (22%) | 1.73(0.73-4.03) | |
| Increased difficulties managing symptoms of a chronic medical conditionǂ since the pandemic | 37 (29%) | 2.08(0.95-4.56) | |
| Increased difficulties getting care or medications for mental health since the pandemic | 31 (24%) | 2.69(1.18-6.18)* | NS |
| Increased difficulties getting drug use treatment since the pandemic | 9 (7%) | 4.09(1.10-17.96)* | 7.96(1.53-55.62)* |
*95% CI does not include 1; ǂ HIV, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, emphysema; ◊multicolinearity with homelessness and unmet subsistence needs; NS: not significant in adjusted analysis and not included in the most parsimonious model; ⌂Included in the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) / U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) homeless definition based on McKinney-Vento eligibility.