Article
Evaluation of Diet Quality, Physical Health, and Mental Health Baseline Data from a Wellness Intervention for Individuals Living in Transitional Housing Callie Millward 1 , Kyle Lyman 2 , Soonwye Lucero 2 , James D. LeCheminant 2 , Cindy Jenkins 3 , Kristi Strongo 4 , Gregory Snow 5 , Heidi LeBlanc 3 , Lea Palmer 4 and Rickelle Richards 2, * 1
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Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; cjm8279@psu.edu Department of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; lyman444@student.byu.edu (K.L.); soonwyel@gmail.com (S.L.); james_lecheminant@byu.edu (J.D.L.) Extension Home and Community Department, Utah State University Extension, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; cindy.jenkins@usu.edu (C.J.); heidi.leblanc@usu.edu (H.L.) Department of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; kristi.strongo@usu.edu (K.S.); lea.palmer@usu.edu (L.P.) Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; snow@stat.byu.edu Correspondence: rickelle_richards@byu.edu; Tel.: +1-801-422-6855
Abstract
Academic Editor: Javier Aranceta-Bartrina Received: 28 June 2025 Revised: 29 July 2025 Accepted: 1 August 2025 Published: 6 August 2025 Citation: Millward, C.; Lyman, K.; Lucero, S.; LeCheminant, J.D.; Jenkins, C.; Strongo, K.; Snow, G.; LeBlanc, H.; Palmer, L.; Richards, R. Evaluation of Diet Quality, Physical Health, and Mental Health Baseline Data from a Wellness Intervention for Individuals Living in Transitional Housing.
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate baseline health measurements among transitional housing residents (n = 29) participating in an 8-week pilot wellness intervention. Methods: Researchers measured anthropometrics, body composition, muscular strength, cardiovascular indicators, physical activity, diet quality, and health-related perceptions. Researchers analyzed data using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. Results: Most participants were male, White, and food insecure. Mean BMI (31.8 ± 8.6 kg/m2 ), waist-to-hip ratio (1.0 ± 0.1 males, 0.9 ± 0.1 females), body fat percentage (25.8 ± 6.1% males, 40.5 ± 9.4% females), blood pressure (131.8 ± 17.9/85.2 ± 13.3 mmHg), and daily step counts exceeded recommended levels. Absolute grip strength (77.1 ± 19.4 kg males, 53.0 ± 15.7 kg females) and perceived general health were below reference standards. The Healthy Eating Index-2020 score (39.7/100) indicated low diet quality. Common barriers to healthy eating were financial constraints (29.6%) and limited cooking/storage facilities (29.6%), as well as to exercise, physical impediments (14.8%). Conclusions: Residents living in transitional housing have less favorable body composition, diet, and grip strength measures, putting them at risk for negative health outcomes. Wellness interventions aimed at promoting improved health-related outcomes while addressing common barriers to proper diet and exercise among transitional housing residents are warranted. Keywords: homelessness; transitional housing; SNAP-Ed; nutrition education; diet quality; physical activity; health; wellness intervention; food security; body composition
Nutrients 2025, 17, 2563. https:// doi.org/10.3390/nu17152563 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/
1. Introduction Homelessness in the United States (U.S.) has been associated with less healthy diets, including lower than recommended intakes of fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, fruits, and vegetables [1–5]. Limitations in physical functioning have also been observed among individuals experiencing homelessness and have contributed to low physical activity
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Nutrients 2025, 17, 2563
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17152563