People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at risk of malnutrition, yet it is unclear whether general-population nutrition screening tools identify this risk. This scoping review aimed to map nutrition screening conducted among PEH, identify evidence gaps and inform future research.
What is already known on this topic?
People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face significant health inequalities and are at increased risk of malnutrition driven by factors such as poor physical and mental health, substance use and food insecurity. Nutrition screening with a validated tool is recommended to identify malnutrition risk, but early evidence suggests that tools developed for the general population may not capture risk in PEH effectively. Currently, there is limited understanding of nutrition screening practices in PEH.
What this study adds
This review highlights a marked lack of evidence on nutrition screening in PEH, with only four heterogeneous studies identified. These used Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (full or adapted) and an unspecified modified tool, and no study used a tool validated specifically for this population.
How this study might affect research, practice or policy
This study identifies key priorities for research, including evaluating whether, where and how nutrition screening could be implemented for PEH, alongside clearer definitions and differentiation between screening and assessment. It highlights that no screening tool has been validated for PEH and that authors of included studies modified existing tools or questioned their suitability for this population, supporting further research into whether a co-developed, population-specific screening approach would improve identification of malnutrition risk.
This research is by Hannah Style, Ghislaine Swinburn, and Adrian Brown and was published in the British Medical Journal – Nutrition, Prevention and Health in November 2026.