The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63858

Suzanne C. Gillette, PhD, MPH, MS, RN, School of Nursing, Seattle University, 900 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122, 206-296-5667, gillettes@seattleu.edu

This research project was an ethnographic study of homeless women. The purpose of the study was to listen to homeless women talk about their health and AIDS prevention in the context of being homeless. Critical feminist ethnography was the methodology. Participant observation and interviews of homeless women were the major data gathering methods. Thirty-eight women were recruited from a variety of agencies serving homeless women. Theoretical sampling guided the choice of topics in each interview. Major findings were 1) that over three quarters of the women had experienced domestic violence, and half of those attributed their homelessness to it, 2) few were practicing AIDS prevention, even when they were aware of good preventive measures. Despite the circumstances of their present lives, all of the women had a dream of the type of house and a desired atmosphere in which they most wanted to live. The common threads were safety, a loving family, and peace and quiet. Contrary to critics of homeless people, not one woman said she would chose to stay on the street, not those who had been homeless for one week nor those who had been homeless thirty years.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, the learner will be able to:
• Describe the priorities for living well held by homeless women in this study
• List some of the elements of their present lives they most want to discard
• Analyze how the desired changes in their lives contribute to their health maintenance

Keywords: Homelessness, Women

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.