Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40907020›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2025

Periodic Assessment of Trajectories of Housing, Homelessness, and Health Study (PATHS): Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study of People Experiencing Homelessness.

Randall Kuhn, Jessie Chien, Norma Guzman Hernandez, Taylor M Mobley, Danielle Paulazzo, Gisele Corletto, Benjamin F Henwood

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Randall KuhnDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-5664-6933
Jessie ChienDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-4968-2789
Norma Guzman HernandezDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0009-0006-6179-9209
Taylor M MobleyDepartment of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-9699-6911
Danielle PaulazzoDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0009-0007-0441-965X
Gisele CorlettoSuzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0009-0005-2353-9361
Benjamin F HenwoodSuzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8346-3569

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe past decade has seen a substantial increase in the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The unsheltered population faces heightened health and social risks, yet research on their experiences remains limited.

objectiveThis paper presents the protocol for the Periodic Assessment of Trajectories of Housing, Homelessness, and Health Study (PATHS), a longitudinal study that leverages mobile phone technology and web-based surveys to track the housing and health trajectories of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County.

methodsParticipants were recruited from the Los Angeles County Homeless Count Demographic Survey, an annual representative survey of the county's unsheltered population. Eligibility criteria included being aged ≥18 years, having stayed in an unsheltered location or homeless shelter for at least 1 night in the past month, and residing in Los Angeles County. The study uses a web-based survey platform accessible via mobile phones and provides electronic gift card incentives for participation. Data on housing, health, and social outcomes are collected monthly using trauma-informed, equity-sensitive surveys, designed for diverse literacy levels with a user-friendly interface that includes buffers for sensitive topics.

resultsSince the study launched in December 2021, a total of 2058 individuals have been screened and found eligible. In total, 57.43% (n=1182) of participants completed the baseline survey, of whom 75.47% (n=892) completed at least 1 monthly survey. By December 2024, participants had contributed 7585 monthly surveys (average of 8.5, SD 8.36 per respondent and median of 6, IQR 2-11). Compared to the unsheltered population of Los Angeles County, the PATHS sample overrepresents younger adults aged <40 years (641/1182, 54.23% vs 38.64%) and female participants (507/1182, 42.89% vs 27.74%). Furthermore, the PATHS cohort reports a high burden of health risks relative to the housed population, with 47.3% (422/892) reporting symptoms of anxiety (vs 19.1%), 45.1% (402/892) reporting symptoms of depression (vs 16.4%), 35% (312/892) reporting a disability (vs 12.9%), and 69.4% (619/892) experiencing food insecurity (vs 15.7%).

conclusionsPATHS offers an innovative platform for real-time monitoring of the housing, health, and service needs of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County. By leveraging continuous, in-depth data collection via mobile surveys, PATHS provides valuable insights into the evolving challenges faced by this population. Addressing critical gaps in longitudinal research, PATHS has the potential to drive more informed policy decisions and interventions that improve outcomes for this population considered vulnerable. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/74266.

Indexed as

HousingIll-Housed PersonsAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesLos AngelesMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adultdigital data collectionhomeless health riskshousing instabilitylongitudinal studymobile phone surveysunsheltered homelessness

Identifiers

PMID40907020
PMCPMC12447006

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.