Heliyon
Volume 6, Issue 3, March 2020, e03474
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Research article
Barriers, beliefs, and practices regarding hygiene and vaccination among the homeless during a hepatitis A outbreak in Detroit, MI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03474Get rights and content
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Abstract

Appropriate hygiene practices and vaccine acceptance are key factors impacting the health of homeless individuals. A recent outbreak of hepatitis A in Michigan, especially impacting Detroit, prompted us to investigate the practices and attitudes of Detroit's homeless population toward hygiene measures and vaccinations, as well as barriers to such resources. We developed a questionnaire as a means to collect our data, and participants were interviewed at shelters and soup kitchens. While the majority of participants adhered to healthy hygiene practices, approximately 89% reported barriers to accessing public showers. More than half the participants (64%) reported receiving their hepatitis A vaccine prior to the study, while 23% reported previously refusing or hesitating to receive vaccinations. Despite an overall favorable adherence to hygiene practices, substantial barriers are yet to be overcome. Moreover, active measures should be taken to establish higher levels of trust between providers and the homeless to encourage vaccine acceptance.

Keywords

Vaccines
Public health
Infectious disease
Virology
Vaccination
Health disparity
Health promotion

Cited by (0)

Author dedication: The surviving authors would like to dedicate this manuscript to the memory of Dean Carpenter, whose mentorship has been irreplaceable and whose career spent treating and advocating for the homeless of Detroit remains an inspiration to all who knew him.

1

Deceased.