When The Housewife’s Year Book of Health and Homemaking was published in 1937, Canadians were still in the midst of the Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted roughly from 1929 to 1939. This period represents a time of extreme poverty for many Canadians due to mass unemployment. The catalyst for the Great Depression was the Wall Street stock market crash in October 1929. Eventually, one in five Canadians would need to depend on government relief to survive. Though the unemployment rate began to recover after 1933, it was still high when the Second World War began in 1939. The Housewife’s Year Book of Health and Homemaking addresses many of the problems facing housewives and families at the time. Though a time of poverty and scarcity, women were still expected to keep their families as happy and healthy as possible. The page on "Financial Housekeeping," for instance, states that “Kellogg’s All-Bran costs less than a ½ cent per average serving,” indicating that the writers of the book understood that health should still be affordable. The recipes in the book also use minimal ingredients and are ones that would have been relatively affordable and easy to find, including fat, sugar, milk, and flour. This would have been helpful for women trying to feed their families and working with very limited budgets.  

In the early 20th century, North Americans were fascinated by the process of "purgation," which referred to cleansing or purging the body. Especially, attention was being paid to digestive health and the use of laxatives to prevent constipation. It was assumed that there were germs in the colon, and if it was not being sanitized or emptied regularly, these germs would contaminate the human body. This preoccupation with bowel movements led to companies advertising various products that encouraged consumers to flush out their colons. It is not a coincidence that Kellogg’s developed its All-Bran cereal around this same time. In The Housewife's Year Book of Health and Homemaking, constipation is referred to as the “neglected ailment.” Since All-Bran may have been cheaper to purchase than pharmaceuticals, many housewives may have gone the route of keeping their families healthy by treating constipation with dietary changes. 

Likely, this book found favour among female readers due to the hysteria around colon buildup and All-Bran was an inexpensive new product that functioned as “exercise for the intestines.” The handbook was also given out for free in the hopes that readers would purchase All-Bran and refer to the handbook for tips on using the product. The housewife likely appreciated recipes as well as the various tips provided throughout, such as how to plan healthy meals, remove stains, entertain children, and gardening. During a time when many women could not afford non-essential books, a book like The Housewife's Year Book of Health and Homemaking would have been treasured for its information. The book also demonstrates the sheer number of responsibilities women were entrusted with at the time, as they were expected to be caregivers as well as cooks, cleaners, bankers, gardeners, and nurses.