Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28476156›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal for equity in health2017

Nutritional deficiencies in homeless persons with problematic drinking: a systematic review.

Sharea Ijaz, Joni Jackson, Helen Thorley, Katie Porter, Clare Fleming, Alison Richards, Adrian Bonner, Jelena Savović

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal for equity in health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. First year of ongoing invasiveEuro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026
    Article
  4. Nutrition Status of People Experiencing Homelessness Residing in Temporary Accommodation in London.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Treatment and Outcomes in Nutritional Optic Neuropathy.Current treatment options in neurology · 2019
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sharea IjazThe National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West), University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 9th Floor Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK. s.ijaz@bristol.ac.uk.
Joni JacksonThe National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West), University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 9th Floor Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK.
Helen ThorleyThe National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West), University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 9th Floor Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK.
Katie PorterBristol City Council, St Annes House, Bristol, BS4 4AB, UK.
Clare FlemingCompass Health, The Compass Centre, 1 Jamaica Street, Bristol, BS2 8JP, UK.
Alison RichardsThe National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West), University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 9th Floor Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK.
Adrian BonnerResearch and Development Unit, The Salvation Army, London, SE1 6BN, UK.
Jelena SavovićThe National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West), University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 9th Floor Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK.
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust · GBNational Institute for Health Research · GBBristol City Council · GBThe Salvation Army · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA significant proportion of homeless people drink alcohol excessively and this can lead to malnutrition and consequent medical problems. The aim of this review was to assess the evidence on the range of nutritional deficiencies in the homeless problem-drinking populations.

methodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of nine scientific literature databases and 13 grey literature sources. We included studies of any design that included homeless population with problem-drinking and reported measures of nutritional deficiencies in urine or blood. Study selection and data extraction was done by one reviewer and checked by another. Data on malnutrition profile were summarized narratively.

resultsWe found nine studies reporting nutritional deficiencies in homeless populations with problem-drinking. The oldest study was from the 1950s and the most recent from 2013. The following nutrients were reported across studies: vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, A, and E; haemoglobin; and albumin. The most common deficiencies reported were of vitamin B1 (prevalence of deficiency was 0, 2, 6, 45, and 51% in five studies) and vitamin C (29, 84, and 95% in three studies). None of the studies were assessed to be at a low risk of bias.

conclusionsThe limited, low quality and relatively old evidence suggests that homeless people who drink heavily may be deficient in vitamin C, thiamine, and other nutrients. New, well conducted studies are needed in order to optimally inform public health interventions aimed at improving deficiencies in this population.

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42015024247.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overAlcohol DrinkingFemaleHealth StatusHumansIll-Housed PersonsMaleMalnutritionMiddle AgedPrevalenceAlcoholHomelessMalnutritionProblem drinkingSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID28476156
PMCPMC5418701
OpenAlexW2610762830

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.