Abstract
Introduction. A variety of terms have been used to describe the homeless youth population. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to analyze the conceptual meanings of the term homeless youths by examining the evolution of the concept and its related terms in the current literature. Method. Online databases from 1990–2010 were analyzed using the Rodgers evolutionary approach. Results. The 6 attributes relating to homeless youth were physical location, age, health, behavior, choice, and survival. Conclusion. The analysis provided insight and clarification of homeless youth from a variety of related terms in the literature.