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Need a control group - the rate of TBI amongst non-homeless men.

by ribs 12y ago

keithflower 12y ago
The full paper[1] addresses this to some extent (my emphasis added below): "Accurate estimates of the lifetime history (prevalence) of traumatic brain injury within the general population are scarce, which makes it difficult to compare rates of injury among homeless people with rates among those in the community. Two community cohort studies suggested prevalence rates of 3.8% (for experiencing at least 1 admission to hospital for traumatic brain injury by age 35; northern Finland birth cohort) and 31.6% (for experiencing a traumatic brain injury for which the person received medical care; Christchurch, New Zealand, birth cohort). Together, these data suggest that rates may be higher among people who are homeless than within the general community. A recent study estimated that homeless men had rates of head injury 14 times higher than rates for the general population of Canada, with a rate 400 times higher among those who were chronically homeless and had drinking problems." And not oranges and oranges comparison, but[2]: "Separately, a recent study by Dr. Stephen Hwang of the hospital's Centre for Research on Inner City Health, found the number of people who are homeless or vulnerably housed and who have also suffered a TBI may be as high as 61 per cent -- seven times higher than the general population." [1] http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/2/E69.full http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/2/E69.full [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24651000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24651000
gpcz 12y ago
The paper ( http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/1059 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/1059 ) is a meta-analysis of papers addressing this correlation. In the section "Limitations of the evidence base," the author notes the deficiency you pointed out in most papers (only two had a control group), among other deficiencies. The conclusion is a rallying cry for larger and more rigorous studies on the matter since the current (ragtag) evidence shows a noticeable correlation.
cup 12y ago
12% according to this reference from reddit. http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343275 http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343275
jacalata 12y ago
I was wondering that too, but the end of the article does mention it: "the number of people who are homeless or vulnerably housed and who have also suffered a TBI may be as high as 61 per cent -- seven times higher than the general population." So it sounds like the rate in the normal population is about 8%, but that's probably men and women. Even if it was entirely men that had it (unlikely), that would put the incidence in the general population of men at 16%, significantly lower. And that rate includes the ones that end up homeless.

Need a control group - the rate of TBI amongst non-homeless men.

by ribs 12y ago

Need a control group - the rate of TBI amongst non-homeless men.

The full paper[1] addresses this to some extent (my emphasis added below): "Accurate estimates of the lifetime history (prevalence) of traumatic brain injury within the general population are scarce, which makes it difficult to compare rates of injury among homeless people with rates among those in the community. Two community cohort studies suggested prevalence rates of 3.8% (for experiencing at least 1 admission to hospital for traumatic brain injury by age 35; northern Finland birth cohort) and 31.6% (for experiencing a traumatic brain injury for which the person received medical care; Christchurch, New Zealand, birth cohort). Together, these data suggest that rates may be higher among people who are homeless than within the general community. A recent study estimated that homeless men had rates of head injury 14 times higher than rates for the general population of Canada, with a rate 400 times higher among those who were chronically homeless and had drinking problems." And not oranges and oranges comparison, but[2]: "Separately, a recent study by Dr. Stephen Hwang of the hospital's Centre for Research on Inner City Health, found the number of people who are homeless or vulnerably housed and who have also suffered a TBI may be as high as 61 per cent -- seven times higher than the general population." [1] http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/2/E69.full http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/2/E69.full [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24651000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24651000

gpcz 12y ago

The paper ( http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/1059 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/1059 ) is a meta-analysis of papers addressing this correlation. In the section "Limitations of the evidence base," the author notes the deficiency you pointed out in most papers (only two had a control group), among other deficiencies. The conclusion is a rallying cry for larger and more rigorous studies on the matter since the current (ragtag) evidence shows a noticeable correlation.

cup 12y ago

12% according to this reference from reddit. http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343275 http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343275

jacalata 12y ago

I was wondering that too, but the end of the article does mention it: "the number of people who are homeless or vulnerably housed and who have also suffered a TBI may be as high as 61 per cent -- seven times higher than the general population." So it sounds like the rate in the normal population is about 8%, but that's probably men and women. Even if it was entirely men that had it (unlikely), that would put the incidence in the general population of men at 16%, significantly lower. And that rate includes the ones that end up homeless.