Internet and Social Media Use as a Resource Among Homeless Youth *

Little is known about internet and social media use among homeless youth. Consistent with typologies prevalent among housed youth, we found that homeless youth were using internet and social media for entertainment, sociability, and instrumental purposes. Using Haythornwaite's (2001

Social Network Based Substance Abuse Prevention via Network Modification (A Preliminary Study)

Substance use and abuse is a significant public health problem in the United States. Group-based intervention programs offer a promising means of preventing and reducing substance abuse. While effective, unfortunately, inappropriate intervention groups can result in an increase in deviant behaviors among participants, a process known as deviancy training. This paper investigates the problem of optimizing the social influence related to the deviant behavior via careful construction of the intervention groups. We propose a Mixed Integer Optimization formulation that decides on the intervention groups, captures the impact of the groups on the structure of the social network, and models the impact of these changes on behavior propagation. In addition, we propose a scalable hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm that combines Mixed Integer Programming and Large Neighborhood Search to find near-optimal network partitions. Our algorithm is packaged in the form of GUIDE, an AI-based decision aid that recommends intervention groups. Being the first quantitative decision aid of this kind, GUIDE is able to assist practitioners, in particular social workers, in three key areas: (a) GUIDE proposes near-optimal solutions that are shown, via extensive simulations, to significantly improve over the traditional qualitative practices for forming intervention groups; (b) GUIDE is able to identify circumstances when an intervention will lead to deviancy training, thus saving time, money, and effort; (c) GUIDE can evaluate current strategies of group formation and discard strategies that will lead to deviancy training. In developing GUIDE, we are primarily interested in substance use interventions among homeless youth as a high risk and vulnerable population. GUIDE is developed in collaboration with Urban Peak, a homeless-youth serving organization in Denver, CO, and is under preparation for deployment

Prevalence and Covariates of Food Insecurity Among Residents of Single-room Occupancy Housing in Chicago, IL, USA

Objective Emerging evidence suggests that food insecurity is a significant public health concern among people who are homeless or marginally housed. The present study assessed prevalence of food insecurity and its covariates among a group of marginally housed individuals living in single-room occupancy (SRO) dwellings, a population for which there is little extant health or nutrition research. Design Cross-sectional survey incorporating the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Setting Ten private SRO residences in the Uptown neighbourhood of Chicago, IL, USA, 2013. Subjects SRO residents over 18 years of age who were able to communicate verbally in English (n 153). Results Food insecurity was widespread among SRO residents, with 75 % of the sample considered food insecure and 52 % meeting criteria for severe food insecurity. Bivariate analyses indicated that female gender, eating most meals at a soup kitchen, having a mental health condition, problem drinking, having at least one chronic health condition, and diabetes were all significantly associated with food insecurity. In the multivariate ordered logistic regression model, eating most meals at a soup kitchen remained as the only significant correlate of food insecurity (OR=10·13). Conclusions SRO residents and other marginally housed populations face unique food access challenges. Although targeted assistance in the form of food stamps and congregate meal programmes remains critical, efforts to prevent and address food insecurity among homeless and marginally housed individuals should include policy interventions that recognize poverty as the root cause of food insecurity and aim to increase overall income and improve housing conditions

Social Network Correlates of Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine Use in a Sociometric Network of Homeless Youth

Objective: Peer influence is one the most consistent correlates of drug use among youth. However, beyond the dyadic level, there is the possibility that peer influence alsofunctions at a more macro or group level, which calls for a better understanding of how positioning within larger social networks affects youth behaviors. Yet, whereas extant research among homeless youth indicates that having substance-using peers is associated with youth\u27s own substance use, the issue of how peer influence operates in conjunction with network structure and position especially with regards to substance use is relatively unexplored. Method: Using Freeman\u27s Event Based Approach, a sociometric network of 136 homeless youth (39.6% female; 38.1% African American; mean age 20.81 years) were recruited in 2008 at 1 drop-in agency in Los Angeles. Self-administered questionnaires and interviewer-administered social network interviews captured individual and network alters\u27 risk behaviors. Network structure and position was assessed with UCINET and visualized with NetDraw. Logistic regressions assessed associations among substance use, adjacent peer substance use, and network position. Results: Youths\u27 connections to specific substance-using peers and their overall position in the network exposed them to behaviors supportive of specific drugs. These results supported the general proposition that both peer and positional attributes affect substance use among homeless youth. Youth\u27s position in the network exposed them to norms supportive of specific illicit drugs. Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of tailoring interventions to reduce drug use at the network level and of recognizing drug use as not only an individual problem but also a social problem. Limitations of this study include its small sample size, the lack of generalizability, and its focus on a finite set of variables

The Digital Lives of Youth Who are Homeless: Implications for Intervention, Policy, and Services

Each year, 1.5 million to 3 million youth in the United States experience homelessness1 (Toro, Lesperance, & Braciszewski, 2011). They are considered to be one of the most marginalized groups in the country. Among the many challenges they face are acquiring health care, employment, and stable housing. It is becoming increasingly important to consider how to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase service engagement and outreach and improve health outcomes and quality of life among youth who are homeless. ICT encompasses a range of interactive tools and platforms; these include social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where people create profiles and share them with network contacts; content-sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr, which are used to share, rate, and discuss videos and photographs (Adewuyi & Adefemi, 2016); and mobile phones and mobile phone–based applications, which have become a popular alternative to traditional websites for delivering information. This chapter discusses recent research on ICT use among youth who are homeless. It also describes interventions in the United States that have used these technologies to engage this population, and explains how what we have learned can be translated into service and policy initiatives that reduce disparities in accessing information and other resources in this vulnerable group

Social Support and Pregnancy Attitudes among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Youth experiencing homelessness demonstrate high rates of pregnancy and pregnancy involvement. Many homeless youth view pregnancies positively; some extant research has depicted this group’s pro-pregnancy attitudes as a function of youth being in desperate need of resources, such as money, food, clothing, housing, and healthcare. Several studies report that female homeless youth, in particular, feel trapped by their need for monetary resources. Their lack of economic capital may thus cause some of them to go to great lengths, including becoming pregnant, merely to maintain access to supports, especially when pregnancy is perceived as desired by a partner who provides such benefits. However, knowledge of the association between youths’ receipt of specific sources and types of social support and their pregnancy attitudes is limited. Social network data were collected from 1003 homeless youth (ages 13–25). Logistic regressions assessed whether specific forms of social support (informational, instrumental, emotional), provided by youths’ social network members (street-based peers, home-based peers, family members, service providers, serious partners), are associated with youths’ pro-pregnancy attitude endorsements. Multivariate results demonstrated that youth who reported receipt of instrumental support (e.g., monetary resources) from a serious partner were significantly more likely to endorse pro-pregnancy attitudes compared to their peers who did not receive such form of support. Findings suggest a need for creating dyadic communication and prevention activities that facilitate homeless youths’ conversations about their economic resource needs, as part of discussions about their pregnancy motivations and relationship goals, in ways that foster informed, self-determined reproductive health decision-making

Relationships Between Parenting and Dangerous Substance Use Behaviors Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Objective: Understanding patterns of dangerous and illicit substance use among young parents who are homeless may provide insight into how best to support this highly vulnerable group and their children. This study examines the relationship between having a biological child and drug use among youth experiencing homelessness. Method: We used 4 waves of cross-sectional data from 1,010 youths ages 14–26 at 3 drop-in agencies serving youth experiencing homeless in Los Angeles, CA. Among participants, 23.8% of males and 28.9% of females had a biological child. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models for males and females on 4 substance use behaviors in the past month: binge drinking, using hard/illicit drugs, prescription drug misuse, and injection drug use. Results: Fathers had greater odds of hard drug use, prescription drug misuse, and injection drug use than males without children. There was no significant relationship between having a child and any of the four substance use behaviors for females. Conclusions: Findings suggest that having a child is not associated with higher risk of dangerous or illicit substance use for females. Results highlight the need to proactively engage young males in pregnancy prevention, parenting programs, and substance use treatment and prevention

Harnessing Social Media to Identify Homeless Youth At-Risk of Substance Use

Homeless youth are a highly vulnerable population and report highly elevated rates of substance use. Prior work on mitigating substance use among homeless youth has primarily relied on survey data to get information about substance use among homeless youth, which can then be used to inform the design of targeted intervention programs. However, such survey data is often onerous to collect, is limited by its reliance on self-reports and retrospective recall, and quickly becomes dated. The advent of social media has provided us with an important data source for understanding the health behaviors of homeless youth. In this paper, we target this specific population and demonstrate how to detect substance use based on texts from social media. We collect ~135K Facebook posts and comments together with survey responses from a group of homeless youth and use this data to build novel substance use detection systems with machine learning and natural language processing techniques. Experimental results show that our proposed methods achieve ROC-AUC scores of ~0.77 on identifying certain kinds of substance use among homeless youth using Facebook conversations only, and ROC-AUC scores of ~0.83 when combined with answers to four survey questions that are not about their demographic characteristics or substance use. Furthermore, we investigate connections between the characteristics of people's Facebook posts and substance use and provide insights about the problem

Sociodemographic and Substance Use Characteristics Associated with Typologies and Composition of Social Support Networks Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles, USA

Youth experiencing homelessness are a vulnerable population with increased behavioural health risks. Social networks are a consistent correlate of youths’ substance use behaviours. However, less is known about the reciprocal relationships among these constructs. This study classified youth experiencing homelessness according to their social support network type (e.g. instrumental, emotional, service) and composition (e.g. family, peers, service staff) and linked their membership in these social network classes to sociodemographic and substance use characteristics. Four waves of cross‐sectional data were collected between October 2011 and June 2013 from youth experiencing homelessness, ages 14–29, at three drop‐in centres in Los Angeles, CA (N = 1,046). This study employed latent class analysis to identify subgroups of youth experiencing homelessness according to the type and composition of their social support networks. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were then conducted to identify the sociodemographic and substance use characteristics associated with social support network class membership. Five latent classes of youths’ social support networks were identified: (a) high staff emotional and service support; (b) high home‐based peer and family emotional, service and instrumental support; (c) moderate street‐ and home‐based peer emotional support; (d) low or no support and (e) high home‐based peer and family emotional and instrumental support. Multinomial logistic regression models indicated that race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, literal homelessness, former foster care experience, depression, heroin and marijuana use were significant correlates of social support network class membership. Results indicate distinct classes of social support networks among youth experiencing homelessness, with certain sociodemographic and substance use characteristics implicated in youths’ social networks

Social Networks and Sexual Risk Factor Differences between Cisgender Heterosexual and Cisgender LGBQ Homeless Youths.

Cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer/questioning (LGBQ) homeless youths are more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors relative to cisgender heterosexual homeless youths. Homeless youths (N = 1,046) were recruited and surveyed from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles, California. This study assessed differences in demographics, background experiences, and perceived social network norms in order to understand the disparities in rates of unprotected sex and concurrent sex between these two subgroups. Results indicate significant differences in engagement in risk factors as well as social network norms. Findings provide support for tailored sexual risk-reduction interventions that cater specifically to LGBQ homeless youths