A Canadian Study Reveals Higher Than Expected Death Rates And Short Life Expectancy Among The Homeless And Marginally Housed

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 27 Oct 2009 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

A Canadian study published today on bmj.com reports that homeless and marginally housed people have much higher mortality and shorter life expectancy than could be expected on the basis of low income alone.

In comparison with the general population, earlier studies have suggested high levels of excess mortality among the homeless. However, there is little information on death rates among homeless and marginally housed people living in low-cost collective dwellings, such as rooming houses and hotels.

In order to find out more, researchers at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto and Statistics Canada compared death rates and life expectancy among a representative sample of homeless and marginally housed people with rates in the poorest and richest income sectors of the general population.

They used data from the 1991-2001 Canadian census and monitored 15,000 homeless and marginally housed people across Canada for eleven years.

Results indicated that mortality rates among homeless and marginally housed people were considerably higher than rates in the poorest income groups, with the highest rates seen at younger ages.

Among the homeless and marginally housed, the probability of survival to age 75 was 32 percent in men and 60 percent in women. This compared to 51 percent and 72 percent among men and women in the lowest income group in the general population.

For men, this corresponds to about the same chance of surviving to age 75 as men in the general population of Canada in 1921 or men in Laos in 2006. For women, this corresponds to about the same chance of surviving to age 75 as women in the general population of Canada in 1956 or women in Guatemala in 2006.

Among homeless and marginally housed men, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 42 years. This is ten years lower than the general population and six years lower than the poorest income group.

The authors explain that a large part of this premature mortality is potentially avoidable. Many excess deaths were attributable to alcohol and smoking-related diseases and to violence and injuries, much of which might have been linked to substance abuse.

In addition, there were many excess deaths related to mental disorders and suicides.

They say in closing that this study indicates that homeless and marginally housed people living in shelters, rooming houses, and hotels have much higher mortality and shorter life expectancy than could be expected on the basis of low income alone. These findings stress the importance of considering housing situation as an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage.

"Mortality among residents of shelters, rooming houses, and hotels in Canada: 11 year follow-up study"
StephenWHwang, research scientist, associate professor, Russell Wilkins, senior research analyst, adjunct professor, Michael Tjepkema, senior research analyst, MHSc candidate, Patricia J O'Campo, director,professor, James R Dunn, chair in applied public health, associate professor
BMJ 2009; 339:b4036
doi:10.1136/bmj.b4036
bmj.com

Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today