Mortality Among Residents of Shelters, Rooming Houses, and Hotels in Canada: 11 Year Follow-Up Study

This study examined mortality in a representative nationwide sample of homeless & marginally housed people in Canada. A follow-up study was done of 15,100 persons enumerated in the 1991 census. Data were compared with data from the poorest & richest income fifths as well as with data from the entire cohort. Of the homeless & marginally housed people, 3,280 had died. Their mortality rates were substantially higher than rates in the poorest income fifth, with the highest rates seen at younger ages. Compared with the entire cohort, mortality rate ratios for men & women, respectively, were 5.6 (3.2 to 9.6) for suicide. For women, suicide accounted for the highest mortality rate ratio. (32 refs.)