title: Homelessness and Sexual Identity Among Middle School Students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ) high school students experience higher rates of homelessness than their heterosexual peers. Moreover, LGBQ high school students are more likely to stay in riskier locations (eg, with a stranger) and less likely to stay in a shelter. This study tested whether these trends also apply to middle school students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using representative data, we examined sexual identity and homelessness among Los Angeles Unified School District middle school students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 10% of middle school students identified as LGBQ and 23.5% experienced at least 1 night of homelessness during the previous year. Contrary to high school data, LGBQ students did not experience higher rates of homelessness overall. However, when limiting the sample to students who had experienced homelessness, LGBQ students were more than 5 times as likely as heterosexual students to have stayed in a public place and 63% as likely to have stayed in a shelter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning students are more likely to experience public homelessness. Schools must implement homelessness surveillance systems to assist in identifying early episodes of homelessness, thereby reducing the likelihood of poor physical and mental health outcomes associated with chronic homelessness.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1150 S. Olive Street, 14th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015. ericr@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1150 S. Olive Street, 14th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015. petering@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petering
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1149 S. Hill Street, Suite 360, Los Angeles, CA 90015. hrhoades@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Harmony
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rhoades
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work Education, Fresno State University, 5310 N. Campus Drive, M/S PHS 144, Fresno, CA 93710-8019. abarmanadhikari@csufresno.edu.
authors.forename: Anamika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barman-Adhikari
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1149 S. Hill Street, Suite 360, Los Angeles, CA 90015. hailey.winetrobe@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Hailey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Winetrobe
authors.affiliation: Program Planning and Evaluation, Sentient Research, 231 N. Walnuthaven Drive, West Covina, CA 91790. aaron@sentientresearch.net.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.affiliation: Sentient Research, 231 N. Walnuthaven Drive, West Covina, CA 91790. jorge@sentientresearch.net.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.affiliation: LAUSD Health Education Programs, HIV/AIDS Prevention Unit, 333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 29th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. timothy.kordic@lausd.net.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kordic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: LGBQ youth; child and adolescent health; human sexuality; mental health; school health instruction; school health services; special populations