Nutritional needs of adolescents who have been placed in a youth home under civil or criminal law : A contribution to health equity.

Health inequity due to social circumstances is currently the subject of numerous health policy discussions throughout Europe. Young people who exhibit dissocial behavior are one of the population groups affected by health inequity. They are far more likely to exhibit characteristics of social disadvantage. Ensuring a satisfactory nutritional situation is a key factor in the physical and psychological health of these young people who are at a vulnerable stage of life in terms of their nutritional and physiological needs and their personal development. With the goal of making a contribution to health equity, this study investigated the nutritional needs of adolescents who have been placed in a cantonal youth home in Switzerland under civil or criminal law. The results show that a high level of participation in the planning and preparation of meals as well as the use of low-threshold oral communication platforms are important interventions for improving the quality of nutrition in this context and thus promoting health equity for young people living in the home.