Citation

Cha O. Bull. Acad. Natl. Med. 2014; 197(2): 277-289.

Vernacular Title

La santé des sans-abri.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

24919359

Abstract

The homeless population is difficult to define and its number difficult to evaluate. In France, it is estimated that almost 4 million people living in substandard accommodation, and 85,000 homeless people. Most homeless people rarely frequent public spaces. One-third have a job, one-quarter live with children, and one-third are between 18 and 29 years old. Shared characteristics include a collapse of social ties and a complete lack of stable accommodation. There are no illnesses specific to homeless people, but their epidemiology differs from the general population: the incidence rate of tuberculosis is 30 times higher, for example. Medical care often arrives far too late. As a result, functional deficits are common, often following serious accidents, and hospitalization is three times more frequent. A chronic disease is present in 45% of cases. Average life expectancy is only 47.6 years-between 30 and 35 years lower than for the general French population. Medical care can only be fully effective if these patients' social and housing issues are dealt with too.

Language: fr