title: Health-seeking challenges among homeless youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 1.5 to 2 million homeless young persons live on the streets in the United States. With the current economic situation, research is needed on quality of services geared toward homeless young adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to explore homeless young adults' perspectives on barriers and facilitators of health-care-seeking behavior and their perspectives on improving existing programs for homeless persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article is a descriptive qualitative study using focus groups, with a purposeful sample of 24 homeless drug-using young adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Identified themes were failing access to care based on perceived structural barriers (limited clinic sites, limited hours of operation, priority health conditions, and long wait times) and social barriers (perception of discrimination by uncaring professionals, law enforcement, and society in general).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results provide insight into programmatic and agency resources that facilitate health-seeking behaviors among homeless young adults and include implications for more research with providers of homeless health and social services.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. anyamath@sonnet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Angela L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyamathi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Greengold
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slagle
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koniak-Griffin
authors.forename: Farinaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khalilifard
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Getzoff
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011287:Prejudice; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
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