Associations between homeless women's intimate relationships and their health and well-being

The purpose of this study was to describe the associations between intimate relationships, characterized in terms of presence or absence of conflictiv e interaction with the partner, and the health and well-being of homeless w omen. A sample of 558 homeless women were administered structured interview s by trained nurses or outreach workers of the participants' ethnicity. Wom en answered questions about their general physical health, health-threateni ng behaviors (i.e., risky drug and sexual behaviors), health-promoting beha viors (i.e., TB and Pap testing), psychological well-being and symptomatolo gy, self-esteem coping, acid life satisfaction. Women in nonconflictive rel ationships reported significantly greater psychological well-being, self-es teem, and life satisfaction and less hostility and noninjection drug use th an women with conflictive relationships or those without an intimate partne r. Women with conflictive relationships were significantly more anxious and depressed than those with nonconflictive relationships. Results suggest th at, when possible, it is advisable to involve the intimate partner in progr ams to facilitate the emotional well-being of homeless women. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 22:486-495, 1999.