MON-019 Noncommunicable Disease Prevalence among Homeless Men in Nagoya, Japan: Relationship between Physiological Data and Social Background

[Aims/Introduction] In-depth physical health data of homeless people has not been analyzed in Japan. We conducted a survey on the severity level and prevalence of metabolic abnormalities among homeless men in Nagoya, Japan. We also assessed its association with sociodemographic characteristics and mental illness/cognitive disability. [Methods] We interviewed 106 homeless men (average age, 54.2 ± 12.7 years) with regards to sociodemographic background, mental illness, and cognitive ability; blood sampling was also performed. Blood pressure, body mass index, and metabolic parameters, including levels of serum creatinine, uric acid, hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were measured. Mental illness and cognitive disability were diagnosed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III test, respectively. Associations between level and prevalence of metabolic abnormalities and mental illness/cognitive disability or sociodemographic background were analyzed. [Results] Hypertension incidence and average blood pressure level were significantly higher in participants who were living on the street and who had been homeless for more than 2 years than in the others who were non-street living and less than one year homelessness. Renal function, based on estimated glomerular filtration rate, was low in participants who had been homeless for more than 2 years. Levels of systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly higher in participants with both mental illness and cognitive disability than in others. [Conclusions] Homelessness (living on the street, homelessness for over 2 years, and mental illness/cognitive disability) affected the prevalence and level of metabolic disorders in Japanese homeless men. The social support should provide for development of skills in homeless people to sustain independent housing and a healthy food life style regards to their physical health.