Correlates of six-month housing instability among U.S. adults by veteran status: Exploratory study using data from the All of Us Program

by Hind A. Beydoun, Christian Mayno Vieytes, May A. Beydoun, Austin Lampros, Jack Tsai

Housing instability (HI) is a social determinant of health affecting adults in the United States (U.S.). Addressing HI among veterans is a national priority, and greater understanding of differences in HI between veteran and non-veteran populations would inform homeless services and research. We examined six-month prevalence and risk/protective factors associated with self-reported HI among veterans and non-veteran U.S. adults. Cross-sectional data from the All of Us Research Program (AoU) on 254,079 (24,545 veterans and 229,534 non-veterans) survey respondents were analyzed. Logistic regression models were constructed to examine rates of HI, and the association of HI with veteran status as well as demographic, socioeconomic, substance use, and health characteristics. Prevalence rates of HI were 14.9%, 11.5%, and 15.4%, in the general, veteran, and non-veteran populations, respectively. Veteran status was not significantly related to HI, after controlling for confounders. Male sex, middle age, unmarried status, lifetime cigarette smoking, and worse health were associated with greater HI odds, while higher income and health insurance availability were associated with lower HI odds, irrespective of veteran status. Racial disparities in HI were observed among non-veterans only. In addition, among non-veterans, adults who were unemployed or reported any lifetime alcohol consumption were more likely to experience HI, whereas any lifetime use of drugs was associated with lower likelihood of HI. In conclusion, although distinct sociodemographic and clinical correlates of HI were identified, HI did not differ by veteran status in a fully adjusted model.