[Analysis of the homeless population health in a disadvantaged district of Barcelona: ESSELLA study].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the health status of the homeless population.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTING

Raval Sud Primary Care Health Center (Barcelona).

PARTICIPANTS

Homeless legal age people who have slept rough at some point in their lives.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Sociodemographic data and time in a situation of homelessness. Chronic pathologies, transmissible infectious diseases, mental illnesses and substance use disorders. HAD questionnaire on anxiety and depression. CVRS EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

The information of 146 patients with a mean age of 51.6 years (SD=12.8), 87% male and a mean of 12 years (SD=11.9) in a situation of homelessness was analyzed. The burden of disease was compared between the CAS profile (Drug addiction center - Baluard) and the socio-sanitary profile (Arrels Foundation). CAS users presented higher percentages of substance use disorders, mental illnesses and transmissible infectious diseases. People with a socio-health profile presented a higher percentage of chronic diseases (respiratory, cardiovascular and oncological) and more than half presented an alcohol use disorder and a higher percentage of disease associated with its consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

The homeless population presents a high burden of disease, especially for mental illness, addictions and transmissible infectious diseases. We believe that studies are necessary to evaluate the disease excess compared to the general population with its derived costs and to design new strategies to address this burden of disease and its specificity.