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Food Intake Patterns of Homeless Youth in Toronto

Objective: To explain the low nutrient intakes of homeless youth in Toronto by looking at their usual food intake patterns and the food they obtained from charitable programs and their own purchases. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 261 homeless youth (149 male, 112 female), recruited from ou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of public health 2009-01, Vol.100 (1), p.36-40
Main Authors: Li, Allanah, Dachner, Naomi, Tarasuk, Valerie
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Objective: To explain the low nutrient intakes of homeless youth in Toronto by looking at their usual food intake patterns and the food they obtained from charitable programs and their own purchases. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 261 homeless youth (149 male, 112 female), recruited from outdoor locations and drop-in centres in downtown Toronto. Drawing on data from two 24-hour dietary intake recalls, youths' usual food intakes were estimated and compared to Canada's Food Guide recommendations. The nutritional quality of youths' food intakes from charitable meal programs and food purchases was compared. Results: The mean usual food intakes for homeless males and females were well below current recommendations for all four food groups and below the usual intakes of adults, 19-30 years, in the general population. On a given day, youths' mean energy intakes were 1962 ± 1394 kcal for females and 2163 ± 1542 kcal for males, with more energy coming from "other foods" than any other food group. Regardless of whether they obtained food from charitable meal programs or purchased it for themselves, youths' mean intakes from the four food groups were very low and most youth consumed no whole grains or dark green or orange vegetables (i.e., foods recommended in Canada's Food Guide). Conclusion: The low nutritional quality of youths' food intakes is consistent with the high prevalence of nutrient inadequacies previously documented in this sample. The existing food acquisition strategies of homeless youth appear to be insufficient for them to meet their nutritional needs. Objectif : Expliquer les faibles apports de nutriments des jeunes sans abri de Toronto en examinant leurs rations alimentaires habituelles, les aliments qu'ils obtiennent de programmes caritatifs et les aliments qu'ils achètent eux-mêmes. Méthode : Nous avons interviewé 261 jeunes sans abri (149 garçons, 112 filles) recrutés dans des lieux extérieurs et des centres d'accueil du centre-ville de Toronto. À partir des données de deux feuilles de rappel des aliments ingérés pendant les 24 dernières heures, nous avons estimé les rations alimentaires habituelles de ces jeunes et nous les avons comparées aux recommandations du Guide alimentaire canadien. Nous avons également comparé la qualité nutritionnelle des rations alimentaires que les jeunes obtiennent des programmes caritatifs de distribution de repas et des aliments qu'ils achètent. Résultats : La ration alimentaire moyenne habituelle des gar
ISSN:0008-4263
1920-7476
DOI:10.1007/BF03405490