A Longitudinal Examination of Adolescent and Young Adult Homeless Experience, Life Course Transitions, and Health. (December 2013) - Stablein, Timothy
While many have studied the antecedents of homelessness and health status among the actively homeless, no studies have evaluated the long-term health outcomes of formerly homeless adolescents and young adults. In this article, we examine the prospective association of early homeless experience and health outcomes after homelessness has subsided and whether factors that impede successful life course transitions following homeless experiences (e.g., low education attainment, depressive symptoms) mediate these associations. Among 4, 651 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth–Child Study participants, formerly homeless adolescents and young adults (aged 15–25) were at greater risk of developing asthma, health-limiting conditions (HLCs), and fair/poor self-rated health over 8 years of follow-up, particularly among females. Factors that disrupt life course transitions mediated associations for asthma and HLCs. Using 20 years of life course information, this study demonstrates the enduring health risks for adolescents and young adults with homeless experience as they age.