Health perceptions and health care behaviors of homeless men

Abstract

Health Perceptions and Health Care Behaviors of Homeless Men addresses the questions: 1. What are the perceptions held by homeless men about their state of health? and 2. What are the behaviors engaged in by homeless men in order to remain or become healthier? Participant observation and ethnographic interviews were used to answer these questions. Participant observation was conducted in Tucson, Arizona in a park, soup kitchen and at a local health care clinic. Four homeless male informants participated individually in ethnographic interviews. Six domains of meaning and three cultural themes emerged from the data analysis. Examples of domains include: The Impact of Social Factors, The Process of Obtaining Food, and The Cultural Practices and Beliefs About Health. One cultural theme was: Homeless men are knowledgeable and well able to advocate for themselves but prefer to believe that they are unable to do so. Homeless men are concerned about their health and have very definite ways in which they practice health habits. Recommendations for nurses and other health care providers as well as recommendations for future research on health and homeless men are presented.