Epidemiological profile of the homeless population and factors associated with illicit psychoactive substance use: cross-sectional study, Jundiaí, 2023.Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic and clinical-epidemiological characteristics of the homeless population and to assess factors associated with illicit psychoactive substance use in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2023.
Methods : This study employed a cross-sectional design with a homeless population. The outcome was substance use, and the independent variables were grouped into exogenous factors, primary and intermediate health determinants, access to services, health perception, and clinical conditions. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses were performed. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated using multiple binary logistic regression.
Results: There were 270 participants, the majority of whom were male (85.2%), with an average age of 39, self-identified as Black (72.6%), heterosexual (88.5%), with incomplete elementary education (54.8%), living on the street for five years or more (45.6%), and 80.4% had used/were using illicit psychoactive substances. The most prevalent conditions were mental distress (83.0%), sleep problems (77.4%), digestive discomfort (34.8%), and respiratory disease (31.5%). The use of illicit substances was associated with: having completed high school or higher (OR 4.16; 95%CI 1.63; 10.62); living on the streets for more than one year (OR 2.08; 95%CI 1.01; 4.28); having suffered violence (OR 2.05; 95%CI 1.04; 4.04); smoking (OR 3.46; 95%CI 1.60; 7.50); and not receiving social assistance benefits (OR 2.62; 95%CI 1.28; 5.34).
Conclusion: The study found comorbidities and a high prevalence of illicit psychoactive substance use associated with socioeconomic and behavioral health determinants. These data may inform public health management in developing strategies tailored to the specific needs of this population.
Keywords:
Ill-Housed Persons; Social Vulnerability; Epidemiology; Illicit Drugs; Cross-Sectional Studies
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