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Health Risks and Outcomes of Homelessness in School-Age Children and Youth: A Scoping Review of the Literature

By NASN Inc posted 02-18-2020 11:06

  
Julia Muennich Cowell, editor of The Journal of School Nursing, and author Laura Gultekin discuss the article, "Health Risks and Outcomes of Homelessness in School-Age Children and Youth: A Scoping Review of the Literature".

Learn more about this article by reading the abstract below, listening to the podcast and reading the full-text article.

Despite reports that over 1.3 million school-age children (ages 5–18) were homeless in 2019, little is known about the effects of homelessness on their overall health and well-being. To better understand where gaps exist, a scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify studies of the physical, mental, and behavioral health risks and outcomes of school-age children experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and Preferred Reporting Items (PRISMA) guidelines, seven electronic databases were searched using key words: homelessness, children, health, and well-being. Of the 4,372 records, 23 articles met inclusion criteria. Most examined mental health and high-risk activities or behavioral risks related to school achievement. Few studies tracked the long-term health outcomes of homeless school-age children. Findings have implications for school nurses who have contact with children experiencing homelessness and are in position to intervene to prevent negative health sequelae in this vulnerable population.
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