Assessment of the nutritional status of urban homeless adults

Homeless people eat foods at municipal and charity run shelters, fast-food restaurants, delicatessens, and from garbage bins. Data on the adequacy of the diets and the nutritional status of homeless persons are sparse. Therefore, nutritional indicators of 55 urban homeless subjects were assessed, and a high prevalence of risk factors was identified. Although 93 percent of subjects reported that they obtained enough to eat, a low dietary adequacy score of 10.1 (norm = 16) indicated that the quality of the diet was inadequate. Diet records showed a high intake of sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Serum cholesterol levels above the desirable limit of 200 mg per dl were prevalent. Anthropometric measurements were significantly different from percentile distributions of the U.S. population (P less than .001). Triceps skinfold measurement was above the 95th percentile in 25 percent of subjects. Upper arm muscle area, which reflects lean body mass, was below the 5th percentile in 23.3 percent of women and 44 percent of the men. These decreased levels of lean body mass and increased levels of body fat, together with the elevated serum cholesterol levels and the shortages of essential nutrients in the diet, may place the homeless at risk of developing nutrition-related disorders.