Objective: To characterize the traumatic brain injury (TBI) profile and its associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Santa Clara County, CA.
Design: Observational cohort study.
Setting: Two homeless shelter health clinics in Santa Clara County, CA.
Participants: Currently or recently homeless individuals seeking health care at 2 homeless shelter health clinics between August 2013 and May 2014.
Interventions: Not applicable.
Main outcome measures: Demographics, TBI incidence and characteristics.
Results: The findings indicate that TBI history in the homeless population was higher (79.7%) than in the general population (12%). Almost half of the population (49.2%) reported that their TBI occurred before the age of 18. Of the participants, 68.2% reported sustaining a TBI with loss of consciousness. TBI caused by violence (60%) was lower in this cohort than other homeless cohorts but was the main cause of injury regardless of age. Alcoholism was a risk factor for having more TBIs. No differences in TBI profile were found between sexes.
Conclusions: Our findings underscore the need for more research on the lifetime risk factors associated with TBI to prevent and reduce the number of brain injuries in homeless populations.
Keywords: Concussion; Homeless; Rehabilitation; San Jose, CA; Traumatic brain injuries.
Published by Elsevier Inc.