What is known about the health of rural homeless families?

Families represent the fastest-growing subgroup of the homeless population. Most of the research has focused on urban homeless families and not on rural homeless families. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and health of rural homeless families in Ohio. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to study 76 families who had 125 children under 12 years of age. An interview schedule, the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the SCL-90-R were used to collect data. The majority of the mothers perceived themselves and their children as having no physical health problems. Twenty-four of the children were behind on their immunizations. Forty-four (52%) of the children under 6 years of age had DDST scores that indicated they might have developmental lags and 15 of the children over 4 years of age had CBCL scores that indicated they might have behavioral problems. The reported use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes was high for this group of mothers. Strategies are included that nurses can use in working with rural homeless families.