Identifying causes of death among people experiencing homelessness: Definitions and data-sources matter

ObjectivesThis presentation reports analysis from a linked data study into underlying causes of death among people with experience of homelessness in Wales. Findings are compared with similar UK based studies to highlight the potential distortions in evidence relating to homelessness arising from differing research designs. MethodsData were accessed via the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. Records of people who applied for assistance from a local authority homeless service in Wales (January 2012 to March 2017) were linked to death records (up to January 2020). The primary outcome was underlying cause of death using the ICD-10 classification system. A literature search was conducted to identify UK based studies on cause of death among people defined as homeless which used administrative data. The underlying cause of death for people who sought assistance from the local authority service was re-categorised to allow comparison with identified studies. Results232 people who had used the local authority homeless service in the past were found to have died. The leading underlying cause of death was accidents (33%), followed by cancer (13%) and heart disease (13%). The li