title: [Socio-demographics characteristics and health conditions of older homeless persons of Lima, Peru].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine the socio-demographics characteristics and health conditions of older homeless persons at the time of enrollment into the National Program "Vida Digna" and the probability of functional dependency by age, and stratified by gender and cognitive impairment. MATERIALS ANDE METHODS: We performed a cross sectional study, reviewing all registration forms of the program in order to identify socio-demographic variables and health conditions of older homeless persons at the time of enrollment in the program. We did a descriptive analysis of the socio-demographic variables and we also determined the frequency of health conditions. Furthermore, we determined the probability of functional dependency by age, and stratified by gender and cognitive impairment through a logistic regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The older homeless persons at the time of enrollment in the program were mostly single men, with a primary education or no education. The study subjects had a high frequency of chronic and mental diseases. 50% of them had certain level of functional impairment and roughly 70% had a certain level of cognitive impairment. The probability of functional dependency increased by age, and it was higher in women than in men. This probability increased according to the level of cognitive impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that older homeless persons are a vulnerable population not only because they live outdoors but also because they a have also for the high prevalence of chronic and mental diseases. These diseases prevent the homeless persons from living by themselves special care to overcome their situations.
authors.affiliation: Programa Nacional Vida Digna, Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moquillaza-Risco
authors.affiliation: Programa Nacional Vida Digna, Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: León
authors.affiliation: Programa Nacional Vida Digna, Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dongo
authors.affiliation: Programa Nacional Vida Digna, Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: César V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Munayco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru; D015995:Prevalence; D035862:Vulnerable Populations