• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.191-194
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• 2007

Objective : Homeless patients probably have epidemiologic features that are different from those of general population. However, there have been no published articles about clinical characteristics of neurosurgical homeless patients. The authors tried to assess the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of homeless neurosurgical patients. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological films of 76 homeless patients and 72 non-homeless patients following head trauma who were admitted to our neurosurgical department between June 2001 and June 2005. We compared two groups of the patients with the demographics, the clinical and laboratory characteristics. Also, 3D-day mortality was determined according to Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Results : Age of homeless patients was younger than that of non-homeless patients. Homeless patients had previous craniotomy evidences in skull x-rays more frequently (10.5% vs. 1.4%). Acute subdural hematoma was the most common type of head injury in the two groups. Moderate and severe head injury, based on GCS score on admission was more frequent in homeless patients (64% vs. 39%). Fifty percent of homeless patients underwent operation for traumatic head injury. However, 3D-day mortality according to GCS score was not significantly higher in homeless patients. Conclusion : Most homeless neurological patients were relatively young men. Also, moderate or severe brain injuries were observed more frequently. However, mortality rate of homeless patients in neurosurgical field is not significantly higher in the present study.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.42
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• pp.199-224
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• 2000

Homelessness became a major social problem in Korea. And the homeless presents many kinds of problems in social functioning. In studies on the homeless, Physical and mental health, alcohol and subtance abuse, the vulnerability of the social support have been frequently described as major characteristics of the homeless. Of the homeless' psychosocial characteristics, this article focused on the lack of the social support, which plays a important role on the exit from homelessness. The lack of social support has been mentioned as cause for homelessness. But a few researchers stressed the perspective that the homelessness causes the lack of social support. This article analyzed empirically the lack of social support among the homeless in terms of "social disaffiliation". This article hypothesized: (a) as longer homeless duration, the extent of the perceived social support would be decreased, (b) as longer homeless duration, the magnitude of the social network would be decreased, (c) as longer homeless duration, the ratio of the homeless in social network would be increased. Survey data collected from 355 homeless persons (sheltered homeless) at 82 shelters in Seoul. The result of analysis supports 'social disaffiliation hypotheses'. The result of this study suggests that the social work intervention to strengthen social support and social network be critically important in homeless shelter.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.267-274
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• 2011

Objectives: We examined health care disparities in Korean urban homeless people and individual characteristics associated with the utilization of health care. Methods: We selected a sample of 203 homeless individuals at streets, shelters, and drop-in centers in Seoul and Daejeon by a quota sampling method. We surveyed demographic information, information related to using health care, and health status with a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was adopted to identify factors associated with using health care and to reveal health care disparities within the Korean urban homeless population. Results: Among 203 respondents, 89 reported that they had visited health care providers at least once in the past 6 months. Twenty persons (22.5%) in the group that used health care (n = 89) reported feeling discriminated against. After adjustment for age, sex, marital status, educational level, monthly income, perceived health status, Beck Depression Inventory score, homeless period, and other covariates, three factors were significantly associated with medical utilization: female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR, 15.95; 95% CI, 3.97 to 64.04], having three or more diseases (aOR, 24.58; 95% CI, 4.23 to 142.78), and non-street residency (aOR, 11.39; 95% CI, 3.58 to 36.24). Conclusions: Health care disparities in Seoul and Daejeon homeless exist in terms of the main place to stay, physical illnesses, and gender. Under the current homeless support system in South Korea, street homeless have poorer accessibility to health care versus non-street homeless. To provide equitable medical aid for homeless people, strategies to overcome barriers against health care for the street homeless are needed.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.15-26
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• 2014

Objectives: This study investigates the drinking state of the homeless, including the factors that influence this state, and the related services that the homeless require. Methods: A total of 163 adults residing in homeless shelters in Incheon, were recruited from November 15 to December 28, 2013. The Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, chi-square, and logistic regression. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 18. Results: Among the respondents, 59.5% engaged in normal drinking, 17.2% engaged in problem drinking and 23.3% suffered from high risk drinking. Alcohol Problems of homeless were found to increase along with total drinking periods. And high risk drinker were more likely to have 3.2 times of loneliness, 6.5 times of insomnia, and the reason for homeless is alcohol problem 14.0 times higher. Conclusions: Alcohol problems among the homeless are chronic and difficult to solve through temporary measures and short-term interventions. Therefore, the development of appropriate services and policies for the homeless is important. The results of the study can be used as a basis for the development of management measures tailored to the distinctive needs of the homeless.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.151-181
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• 2016

The objective of the study is to identify the sub-path of entry into homelessness of young men and enhance understanding them. In specific, homeless risk factors were extracted through their experiences, and based on which the entry paths into homelessness were drawn. The homeless young adults were divided into two groups of those who became homeless in their adolescence and those who entered into homelessness after 19 and their differences were analyzed. As a results, the most prominent differences between the two sub-groups included individual and social factors; most of those who entered homelessness after 19 had physical or psychological problems, while the other group showed delinquency factors in adolescence and adulthood. As for social factors, the former group experienced more financial damage in the process of achieving independence before being homeless, while the latter group had relatively more experience of physical and psychological damage such as bullying, harassment and violence before being homeless and financial frauds. As for investigating the causality relationship of key homeless risk factors by adding a variable of time, and based on which, a constant pattern of entry paths toward homelessness was drawn among each sub-group of homeless young adults. For policy on homelessness, it is required to develop according to the characteristics of homeless young adults. Especially, a specific approach is necessary for the different homeless pathways by sub-group. Furthermore, the study indicated that management and preemptive responses for various homeless risk factors that homeless young adults experienced throughout their lifetime could be important prevention policy against homelessness.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.126-131
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• 2009

The purpose of this research is to find out The Support Program for Helping the Homeless Reintegrate-a separate program from the homeless supporting system in which Tokyo Metropolitan is emphasizing the existing job-producing support- and its significance and possibility. For this purpose, this research was performed a literature review of the summary of the project and conducted an interview survey for private organizations(social welfare corporation, NPO corporation, etc.) which were involved in the project, and its users. This research looked into the importance and effect of Housing First Policy which is putting emphasis on the necessity of the personally needed support(life support, and work-finding support) after having to secure housing more preferentially than anything else in order for the homeless to keep up a stable living in supporting the homeless. According to Tokyo Metropolitan, 81.6% of the homeless, who were actually involved in this project, were found to make their living continuously at a district based on self-support through finding work and livelihood protection benefits, etc., thus being able to confirm its politic possibility; however, there still remain some issues to be solved in such as, housing level and continuous support of finding work.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.361-370
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediation of self-efficacy in the relationship between anger and the functional health of homeless men in order to provide a basis for planning nursing interventions to improve the functional health of homeless persons. Methods: The participants were 137 homeless men who lived in homeless shelters or visited one center serving free meals for homeless persons in Seoul. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed with the SPSS-WIN 20.0 program. The instruments were the Functional Health Pattern Screening Assessment Tool (FHPAST), Self-efficacy Scale (SES), and State-trait Anger Expression Inventory-Korean version (STAXI-K). Results: The mean score for functional health was 2.41. Overall self-efficacy was 70.82. state anger was 16.53, trait anger was 19.54, and anger expression was 25.31. There were signigicant correlations among the 3 variables, functional health, self-efficacy, and anger. Also, self-efficacy had a complete mediating effect in the relationship between anger and functional health. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, health management programs focusing on anger management and self-efficacy improvement are highly recommended to promote functional health in homeless persons.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.536-552
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how homeless shelter worker and public health nurses perceive health status and health care of homeless shelter residents (HSRs). Methods: Data collected through focus group interviews. In Focus group, in-depth discussions were between 150 to 160 minutes. Data analyzed using Krueger (1998) step analysis. Participants were seven experienced clinical social workers, nurses working homeless shelters, and public health center nurses for dosshouse people. Results: The results were 4 themes and 15 sub-themes: Characteristics of HSRs, perception of health and health problem of HSRs (alcohol related disease, hypertension Diabetics, gastro-intestinal disease, dental disease and infectios disease such as Tuberculosis, musculo-skeletal disease, prostate problem), health care status of HSRs(insufficient health care service, discrimination of medical staff, lack of health care management, low satisfaction community health care services), and the health care proposal of HSRs(nurse in homeless shelter, integrated health care system, understanding of homeless) Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, health care programs focusing on understanding of HSRs and chronic diseases of HSRs increasing steadily although the management system is limited. Therefore, more systemized health care plan and health referral system for homeless people.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.31-56
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• 2011

This study was done to identify experience of young adults street homeless aged 20-30s by knowing meaning and structure of empirical phenomena for procedure that how young adults became street homeless according to bio-psycho-social change. Five young adults street homeless were recruited who were on the air of SBS program, 'That why we want to know: young hope on the road-Young adults homeless are increased(Saturday July 26, 2008)', and from monthly magazine published by Homeless Center in Seoul. And phenomenological and heuristic Human Becoming Research Methodology of Parse was applied in this study. Although young adults street homeless made an opportunity for job, the working poor made him street homeless who suffer from social stigma and exclusion, but he struggled for self-support with social care. The quality of life for young adult street homeless depends on the social care under human rights with the bio-psycho-social aspects.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.143-171
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• 2017

This study aims to examine experiences of homeless risk factor before becoming the homeless focusing during their childhood period. This study underscore their victimization experience in their previous life with life history interviews of 60 homeless adults. As a result, this study identified various individual homeless risk factors they experienced for a long time. Also the risk factors were interactive, amplified and affect becoming homeless in the end. Moreover the results proved different characteristics between the group according how often they experienced homeless risk factors. These results show that the individual factors emerging homeless also start early stages of their life and those were invincible misfortune and victimization. These findings suggest that the government policy and proactive intervention in order to prevent homeless in the early stage need to be established and have more concerns about high risk youth.