Development and validation of the Attitudes Towards the Homeless questionnaire

H.E. Lester, Helen M. Pattison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

CONTEXT: The homeless are a significant group within society, which is increasing in size. They have demonstrably greater physical and mental health needs than the housed, and yet often have difficulty accessing primary health care. Medical 'reluctance' to look after homeless people is increasingly suggested as part of the problem. Medical education may have a role in ameliorating this. OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the development and validation of a questionnaire specifically developed to measure medical students' attitudes towards the homeless. METHOD AND RESULTS: The Attitudes Towards the Homeless Questionnaire, developed using the views of over 370 medical students, was shown to have a Pearson test-retest reliability correlation coefficient of 0.8 and a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.74. CONCLUSIONS: The Attitudes Towards the Homeless Questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable instrument, which can measure students' attitudes towards the homeless. It could be a useful tool in assessing the effectiveness of educational interventions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)266-268
Number of pages3
JournalMedical Education
Volume34
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Keywords

  • attitude of health personnel
  • education
  • medical
  • undergraduate
  • evaluation studies
  • homeless persons
  • questionnaires
  • medical students

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