"Healthy immigrant effect" among individuals experiencing homelessness in Spain?: Foreign-born individuals had higher average age at death in 15-year retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals experiencing homelessness (IEHs) suffer from severe health inequities. Place of origin is linked to health and mortality of IEHs. In the general population the "healthy immigrant effect" provides a health advantage to foreign-born people. This phenomenon has not been sufficiently studied among the IEH population. The objectives are to study morbidity, mortality, and age at death among IEHs in Spain, paying special attention to their origin (Spanish-born or foreign-born) and to examine correlates and predictors of age at death. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study (observational study) of a 15-year period (2006-2020). We included 391 IEHs who had been attended at one of the city's public mental health, substance use disorder, primary health, or specialized social services. Subsequently, we noted which subjects died during the study period and analyzed the variables related to their age at death. We compared the results based on origin (Spanish-born vs. foreign-born) and fitted a multiple linear regression model to the data to establish predictors of an earlier age at death. RESULTS: The mean age at death was 52.38 years. Spanish-born IEHs died on average almost nine years younger. The leading causes of death overall were suicide and drug-related disorders (cirrhosis, overdose, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]). The results of the linear regression showed that earlier death was linked to COPD (b = - 0.348), being Spanish-born (b = 0.324), substance use disorder [cocaine (b =-0.169), opiates (b =.-243), and alcohol (b =-0.199)], cardiovascular diseases (b = - 0.223), tuberculosis (b = - 0.163), high blood pressure (b =-0.203), criminal record (b =-0.167), and hepatitis C (b =-0.129). When we separated the causes of death for Spanish-born and foreign-born subjects, we found that the main predictors of death among Spanish-born IEHs were opiate use disorder (b =-0.675), COPD (b =-0.479), cocaine use disorder (b =-0.208), high blood pressure (b =-0.358), multiple drug use disorder (b =-0.365), cardiovascular disease (b =-0.306), dual pathology (b =-0.286), female gender (b =-0.181), personality disorder (b =-0.201), obesity (b =-0.123), tuberculosis (b =-0.120) and having a criminal record (b =-0.153). In contrast, the predictors of death among foreign-born IEHs were psychotic disorder (b =-0.134), tuberculosis (b =-0.132), and opiate (b =-0.119) or alcohol use disorder (b =-0.098). CONCLUSIONS: IEHs die younger than the general population, often due to suicide and drug use. The healthy immigrant effect seems to hold in IEHs as well as in the general population.

Mortality Risk Factors for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Catalonia (Spain): A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Current evidence suggests that mortality is considerably higher in individuals experiencing homelessness. The aim of this study was to analyze the mortality rate and the mortality risk factors in a sample of individuals experiencing homelessness in the city of Girona over a ten-year period. (2) Methods: We retrospectively examined the outcomes of 475 people experiencing homelessness with the available clinical and social data. Our sample was comprised of 84.4% men and 51.8% foreign-born people. Cox's proportional hazard models were used to identify mortality risk factors between origin groups. (3) Results: 60 people died during the ten-year period. The average age of death was 49.1 years. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and the duration of homelessness, the risk factors for mortality were origin (people born in Spain) (HR = 4.34; 95% CI = 1.89-10.0), type 2 diabetes (HR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.62-5.30), alcohol use disorder (HR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.12-3.29), and infectious diseases (HR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.09-2.39). Our results show a high prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases. Type 2 diabetes emerges as an important risk factor in homelessness. The average age of death of individuals experiencing homelessness was significantly lower than the average age of death in the general population (which is greater than 80 years). (4) Conclusions: Foreign-born homeless people were generally younger and healthier than Spanish-born homeless people. Chronic diseases were controlled better in Spanish-born people, but this group showed an increased risk of mortality.

Hepatitis C in homeless people: reaching a hard-to-reach population.

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this study was to analyze the process of detection and treatment of hepatitis C in individuals experiencing homelessness (IEH). METHODS: an analytical cross-sectional study was performed in a Primary Care center. The center screened and registered patients with a positive hepatitis C antibody test and referred them to the Digestive Service. RESULTS: finally, 8.3 % presented with a positive HCV antibody test, of which six were patients who had already received treatment. Of those who had not received treatment, one patient was successfully treated; 30.8 % of the total could not be located or did not wish to participate. CONCLUSION: community coordination and the use of rapid tests would improve detection.