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ERIC Number: EJ1136549
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-May
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1525-822X
EISSN: N/A
Strategies for Obtaining Probability Samples of Homeless Youth
Golinelli, Daniela; Tucker, Joan S.; Ryan, Gery W.; Wenzel, Suzanne L.
Field Methods, v27 n2 p131-143 May 2015
Studies of homeless individuals typically sample subjects from few types of sites or regions within a metropolitan area. This article focuses on the biases that can result from such a practice. We obtained a probability sample of 419 homeless youth from 41 sites (shelters, drop-in centers, and streets) in four regions of Los Angeles County (LAC). We found that restricting the frame to only certain types of sites or geographic regions biased the sample in terms of demographic and background characteristics as well as rates of risky behaviors. For example, homeless youth who can be found in shelters (vs. those who do not use shelters) and Hollywood (vs. other regions of LAC) tend to be younger, minorities, and engage less in risky behaviors. Recommendations are provided for evaluating the trade-offs between bias and cost in selecting a sampling strategy for studies of homeless individuals.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Drug Abuse (DHHS/PHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California (Los Angeles)
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01DA020351