[Health and disease in single homeless men: a secondary analysis of findings in a deaconess facility in the Federal German Republic].

Only few empirical investigations on living conditions and health status of single homeless men have been conducted in Germany. The secondary analysis of a sample of 342 homeless men in a welfare hotel was conducted to describe the health status of this group and to gather informations for a possibly higher illness-risk in this group. For this purpose the medical documents and other socio-demographic data were evaluated at one point (one day in February 1985) along the ICD. A relatively high multi-morbidity for the homeless men, especially for the elder ones, could be stated. The results emphasize in etiological perspective the need to take a deeper insight into factors of workload before getting homeless and to strengthen socioepidemiological, socio-therapeutical and political efforts.