title: Depression and drug use impact health status among marginally housed HIV-infected individuals.
abstract: A representative sample of HIV-positive homeless and marginally housed individuals completed SF-36 health surveys and responses were analyzed for associations with sociodemographic, health, health care, and drug use variables. Among 330 respondents, 83% were male, 43% were African American, and the median age was 39 years. Negative associations were found between female gender and vitality as well as physical functioning; older age and physical functioning; drug use or drug treatment and role-emotional, social functioning, body pain, as well as vitality; health care utilization and depression with all scales. It appeared that depression and drug-related variables were associated with multiple dimensions of health status in this population. Interventions to treat depression and addiction may improve the health status of HIV-infected HMH.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006304:Health Status; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires