10 year follow up study of mortality among users of hostels for homeless people in Copenhagen.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate mortality among users of hostels for homeless people in Copenhagen, and to identify predictors of death such as conditions during upbringing, mental illness, and misuse of alcohol and drugs.


METHODS
Register based follow up study.


METHODS
Two hostels for homeless people in Copenhagen, Denmark


METHODS
579 people who stayed in one hostel in Copenhagen in 1991, and a representative sample of 185 people who stayed in the original hostel and one other in Copenhagen.


METHODS
Cause specific mortality.


RESULTS
The age and sex standardised mortality ratio for both sexes was 3.8 (95% confidence interval 3.5 to 4.1); 2.8 (2.6 to 3.1) for men and 5.6 (4.3 to 6.9) for women. The age and sex standardised mortality ratio for suicide for both sexes was 6.0 (3.9 to 8.1), for death from natural causes 2.6 (2.3 to 2.9), for unintentional injuries 14.6 (11.4 to 17.8), and for unknown cause of death 62.9 (52.7 to 73.2). Mortality was comparatively higher in the younger age groups. It was also significantly higher among homeless people who had stayed in a hostel more than once and stayed fewer than 11 days, compared with the rest of the study group. Risk factors for early death were premature death of the father and misuse of alcohol and sedatives.


CONCLUSIONS
Homeless people staying in hostels, particularly young women, are more likely to die early than the general population. Other predictors of early death include adverse experiences in childhood, such as death of the father, and misuse of alcohol and sedatives.
Nordentoft
Merete
M
Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. merete.nordentoft@dadlnet.dk
Wandall-Holm
Nina
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution