Dietary intake of homeless women residing at a transitional living center

Abstract

Women who are homeless experience health problems due to many factors, including poor nutrition. This paper describes a nutritional assessment of women who are homeless living at a transitional living center in an urban setting. A rapid food screener was used to assess fat, fruit and vegetable, and fiber intake, and focus group analysis was used to assess nutritional attitudes and dietary behaviors. We found that the dietary intake of shelter residents does not meet the USDA recommendations in several key areas. We also found that shelter residents considered shelter cafeteria food to be inadequate in terms of taste, nutritional quality, and choices, and they believed the shelter diet contributed to chronic diseases and their symptoms. We conclude that addressing these barriers to good nutrition may help people who are homeless prevent and manage chronic illness.