Enhancing Nutrition Literacy and Eating Behaviors Among Drug-Using Street Youth: A Foodways Perspective

Background

Given the pronounced disparities in access to nutritious foods among urban street youth who use drugs, their dietary patterns starkly highlight the broader issue of food insecurity they face. These challenges, rooted in complex socio-economic and environmental factors, severely limit their nutritional choices and health outcomes.

Objective

This study, therefore, aims to explore the nutrition literacy of street youth and the specific impacts of addiction on their eating behaviors, viewed through the lens of foodways, to identify targeted interventions that can address these critical gaps.

Study Design, Settings, Participants

Employing a mixed-methods approach, we quantitatively assessed the dietary intake of 12 drug-using street youth against 12 healthy age-matched controls, focusing on macronutrients and food group consumption.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

Qualitative focus group interviews further explored participants' abilities to access, understand, and utilize nutritional information. The assessment highlighted food insecurity issues, with a detailed examination of missing food groups in participants' diets.

Results

The quantitative analysis revealed that drug-using youth diets significantly lacked variety, with most major food groups underrepresented or entirely missing due to severe food insecurity and extremely limited access to healthy foods. For instance, the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein sources was markedly lower compared to controls, reflecting a profound gap in essential nutrients. Qualitatively, participants demonstrated a critical lack of nutrition literacy, struggling with obtaining, processing, and applying nutritional information to make healthful dietary decisions within their constrained foodways.

Conclusions

The intersection of drug use, compromised nutrition literacy, and the adverse foodways experienced by street youth present a significant challenge to their health and well-being, necessitating focused interventions. The findings advocate for the development of contextually adapted nutrition education interventions that consider the complex foodways of drug-using street youth. Such programs should aim to improve nutrition literacy, facilitate access to nutritious foods, and encourage healthful eating behaviors, despite the constraints of food insecurity and limited resources.

Funding

None