The physical well-being of old homeless men.

This study addressed a variety of issues related to the etiology, prevalence, and treatment of physical disorders among aging homeless men. The sample consisted of 195 nonstreet dwellers (177 residing in flophouses, 18 in apartments) and 86 street dwellers on the Bowery in New York City. The sample comprised men aged 50 and older. Bowery men scored worse than an aged-matched sample of community men on all physical health scales, with the greatest differences occurring in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, edema, hearing, hypertension, and ambulatory scales. Frequency of visits to doctors by the Bowery men was comparable to that of the community men, and the Bowery men rated their health substantially better than did their counterparts of two decades ago. Poor physical health often appeared to antedate arrival on the Bowery. However, a hierarchical regression analysis identified several variables--stress, unfulfilled needs, being relatively young, institutional/agency contacts--that were associated with current levels of poor health. Identification of these variables pointed to areas that warrant closer attention by clinicians and service providers.