Assessing Food Availability and Variety at a Homeless Youth Drop-In Center

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Date

2017-05

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the food supply of a drop-in center, located in central Ohio that specifically serves homeless youth and how this relates to the diet quality of homeless youth. Another purpose was to assess the youth's knowledge as related to dietary intake and behavior. Study Design and Methodology: This was an observational study that used surveys to collect socio-demographic and homeless experience data. Validated surveys were used to measure food inventory of the drop-in center, as well as the nutrition knowledge and diet quality of the homeless youth. Data was analyzed using SPSS Software. The analysis described homeless youth nutrition knowledge, the food inventory of the drop-in center, and explore (using univariate and multivariate method) the associations between the foods available at the drop-in center and diet quality. Results: A majority of the youth were male (60%), and nearly 73% had a high school diploma or less. The mean age for youth was 21.19 (1.76), while the average age of homelessness onset was 17.98 (3.31). HFI scores: Dairy: M = 5.33, SD = 1.37, (range 3-7); vegetables: M=12.17, SD = 2.86, (range 7-14); fruit: M = 10.83, SD = 2.23, (range 8-14); meat and other non-dairy protein: M= 9, SD =2.61, (range 5-10). The mean obesogenic food availability score was 31 ± 4.18, (range 23-34). Of the participants, 47% reported daily visit to the drop-in center, and 63% reported eating at the drop-in center one or two times each visit. The average nutrition knowledge score of the youth was 11.4 (2.94), and the average healthy eating index (HEI) score was 54.92 (10.8). There was no significant correlation between the HEI score and the frequency of drop-in center visits, or frequency or eating at the drop-in center. Conclusion: The drop-in center is providing a variety of healthy food options such as fruits and vegetables. In addition, there are limited unhealthy food options provided by the facility. However, the youth are not consuming the healthy food options provided by the drop-in center. This suggest there is another source, or way in which youth are acquiring the fruits and vegetables they are consuming.

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Homeless youth, diet quality, food inventory, drop-in center, nutrition knowledge

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