Level of street involvement and health and health services use of Calgary street youth

Objectives: To examine differences in health risks, health outcomes and health services use of Calgary street-involved youth by level of street involvement to inform services planning. Method: 355 street-involved youth (61% male, 26% Aboriginal) completed surveys at a variety of outdoor and agency locations: 46% currently lived on the street, 33% had lived on the street in the past, and 20% were street-involved but had not lived on the street. Odds Ratios (OR) adjusted for sex, ethnocultural group, and age group were calculated for each health/health risk and health service factor by level of street involvement. Results: With the exception of condom use, significant health and health risk outcome differences were seen by level of street involvement. Use of hospitals and walk-in clinics did not differ significantly by level of street involvement; however, youth living on the street were less likely (OR 0.2) than those who had not lived on the street to use a physician during office hours, and those who had lived on the street were more likely (OR 10.1) to use mobile clinics, services that are targeted to street-involved people. Conclusion: Street-involved youth who had not lived on the street showed better health/health risk outcomes than those who currently or had lived on the street, and health services use showed some differences by level of street involvement. Public health and other service providers need to be cognizant of their role in providing prevention, safety or stabilization services for youth at different stages of street life. Key words: Street youth; health risks; health services utilization; community-based research Objectifs : Examiner les ecarts dans les risques sanitaires, les resultats cliniques et l'utilisation des services de sante par les jeunes de la rue de Calgary selon leur niveau d'itinerance, afin d'etayer la planification des services. Methode: Trois cent cinquante-cinq jeunes de la rue (de sexe masculin a 61 %, autochtones a 26 %) ont repondu a un sondage a divers endroits a l'exterieur et a l'interieur d'organismes: 46 % vivaient actuellement dans la rue, 33 % y avaient deja vecu, et 20 % n'y avaient pas vecu, mais frequentaient le milieu. Nous avons calcule des rapports de cotes (RC) rajustes selon le sexe, le groupe ethnoculturel et le groupe d'age pour chaque facteur de sante/de risque sanitaire et de service de sante selon le niveau d'itinerance des jeunes. Resultats: A l'exception du port du condom, nous avons observe des ecarts significatifs dans les resultats de sante et les risques sanitaires selon le niveau d'itinerance. La frequentation des hopitaux et des cliniques sans rendez-vous ne differait pas significativement selon le niveau d'itinerance, mais les jeunes vivant dans la rue etaient moins susceptibles (RC 0,2) que ceux qui n'avaient pas vecu dans la rue de consulter un medecin pendant les heures de bureau, et ceux qui avaient deja vecu dans la rue etaient plus susceptibles (RC 10,1) de frequenter les unites sanitaires mobiles (un service qui cible les personnes de la rue). Conclusion: Les jeunes qui n'avaient pas vecu dans la rue affichaient de meilleurs resultats sur le plan de la sante et des risques sanitaires que ceux qui vivaient actuellement ou qui avaient deja vecu dans la rue, et l'utilisation des services de sante variait quelque peu selon le niveau d'itinerance. Les intervenants en sante publique et autres fournisseurs de services doivent etre conscients de leur role lorsqu'ils offrent des services de prevention, de securite ou de stabilisation aux jeunes a differents stades d'itinerance. Mots cles: jeunes de la rue; risques sanitaires; utilisation des services de sante; recherche en milieu communautaire
Health issues faced by street youth in Canada are of growing concern for public health, as homelessness and health become critical social issues. (1) The health risks of street-involved youth [...]