Abstract
A brief survey was undertaken to assess the nature and severity of food scarcity experienced by a sample of 88 street youth in downtown Toronto, and to identify markers of vulnerability to food scarcity. Almost half of the youth reported experiencing involuntary hunger or food deprivation during the previous 30 days. Youth who were literally homeless (i.e., on the street or “squatting” in abandoned buildings) and those relying primarily on street-based activities for income appeared particularly vulnerable to food deprivation. Although limited in scope, the findings raise questions about the nutritional well-being of street youth and highlight the need for more effective interventions to address problems of poverty, hunger, and homelessness among Canadian youth.
Résumé
On a procédé à une courte enquête pour évaluer la nature et la gravité du manque de nourriture vécu par un échantillon de 88 jeunes à la rue dans la centre-ville de Toronto, ainsi que pour identifier leur vulnérabilité à cet égard. Près de la moitié des jeunes ont déclaré avoir involontairement eu faim ou manqué de nourriture au cours des trente jours précédents. Les jeunes se trouvant littéralement sans-abri (autrement dit à la rue ou «squattant» des édifices abandonnés) et ceux dépendant principalement de leurs activités en rue pour leur revenu sont apparus particulièrement vulnérables au manque de nourriture. Bien que de portée limitée, les résultats de cette enquête soulèvent des questions par rapport au bienêtre nutritionnel des jeunes à la rue et font ressortir la nécessité de mener des interventions plus efficaces pour s’attaquer aux problèmes de la pauvreté, de la faim, et de l’itinérance chez les jeunes Canadiens.
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