Evaluation of Diet Quality, Physical Health, And Mental Health Baseline Data From a Wellness Intervention for Individuals Living in Transitional Housing

Authors

Callie Millward, The Pennsylvania State UniversityFollow
Kyle Lyman, Brigham Young UniversityFollow
Soonwye Lucero, Brigham Young UniversityFollow
James D. LeCheminant, Brigham Young UniversityFollow
Cindy Jenkins, Utah State UniversityFollow
Kristi Strongo, Utah State UniversityFollow
Gregory Snow, Brigham Young UniversityFollow
Heidi LeBlanc, Utah State UniversityFollow
Lea Palmer, Utah State UniversityFollow
Rickelle Richards, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Author ORCID Identifier

Kristi Strongo https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0569-821X

Gregory Snow https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8530-1037

Rickelle Richards https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7699-4254

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Nurients

Volume

17

Issue

15

Publisher

MDPI AG

Publication Date

8-6-2025

First Page

1

Last Page

15

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Abstract

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.

Recommended 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. Nutrients 2025, 17, 2563. https:// doi.org/10.3390/nu17152563