Objectives: This study characterized alcohol use behaviors by sex among sheltered homeless adults and explored associations with health and readiness to change drinking behaviors. Methods: Participants (N=581; 63.7% men; Mage=43.6, 29.4% White) self-reported alcohol use and readiness to change drinking behaviors. Sex differences were analyzed via Wilcoxon rank-sum, Chi-Square tests, logistic regression, and ANCOVAs. Results: Overall, 38.5% of the sample met criteria for current at-risk drinking, 39.7% self-reported a history of alcohol problems, and 22.9% reported having a formal alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis. Among current alcohol users, 83.8% reported at-risk drinking. Men had more drinks per drinking day, more drinks per week, and more drinking days per week when compared to women. No sex differences were found on at-risk drinking, self-reported alcohol problems, probable alcohol abuse/dependence, AUD diagnosis, readiness to change drinking, or recent alcohol/substance abuse counseling. Conclusions: High rates of at-risk drinking were found among alcohol users. Homeless men and women did not exhibit differences in several manifestations of problematic alcohol use. Alcohol use interventions might be equally appealing to both sexes given equivalent readiness to change drinking; however, rates of recent treatment receipt were low.

Objectives: Among domiciled samples, racial discrimination is a known stressor linked with poorer quality of life. However, homeless adults may be particularly vulnerable to discrimination due to multiple factors beyond race. This study characterized perceived discrimination and its reported impact on quality of life in a sample of adults who were homeless. Methods: Homeless adults recruited from Oklahoma City self-reported their sociodemographics, past discrimination experiences, and their impact on quality of life via the MacArthur Major Experiences of Discrimination Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to

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Adults who are homeless smoke at greater rates and quit at lower rates than domiciled adults, leading to significant smoking-related health disparities among this group. Findings suggest that cigarette purchasing patterns are linked with readiness to quit smoking among smokers who are homeless. Results elucidate one of the myriad factors that contribute to tobacco-related disparities among this group and findings may have implications for cessation interventions in homeless shelters and other contexts where resources are limited.