Risk Behaviors and Health Care Utilization Among Homeless Youth: Contextual and Racial Comparisons

ABSTRACT This study analyzes survey and focus group data from 54 homeless youth from a drop-in center and residential shelter in the Los Angeles area. Youth from the drop-in center reported higher levels of risk-taking behaviors as well as less access, lower quality of care, and overall more negative views regarding health care utilization than those from the residential shelter. Effective interventions targeting homeless youth must be sensitive to the fact that this vulnerable population is heterogeneous. No single approach will address the specific needs, circumstances, and perspectives of all subgroups in the target population, necessitating a multifaceted design.