IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i1p108-d1321828.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pilot Implementation of a Nutrition-Focused Community-Health-Worker Intervention among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults in Permanent Supportive Housing

Author

Listed:
  • Jane E. Hamilton

    (McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Diana C. Guevara

    (McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Sara F. Steinfeld

    (McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Raina Jose

    (Bread of Life, Inc., Houston, TX 77002, USA)

  • Farrah Hmaidan

    (Bread of Life, Inc., Houston, TX 77002, USA)

  • Sarah Simmons

    (Bread of Life, Inc., Houston, TX 77002, USA)

  • Calvin W. Wong

    (McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Clara Smith

    (Bread of Life, Inc., Houston, TX 77002, USA)

  • Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk

    (Temenos, CDC, Houston, TX 77003, USA)

  • Shreela V. Sharma

    (McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

Abstract

Food insecurity is a known health equity threat for formerly chronically homeless populations even after they transition into permanent housing. This project utilized a human-centered design methodology to plan and implement a nutrition-focused community-health-worker (CHW) intervention in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The project aimed to increase access to healthy foods, improve nutritional literacy, healthy cooking/eating practices, and build community/social connectedness among 140 PSH residents. Validated food-security screening conducted by CHWs identified low or very low food security among 64% of 83 residents who completed the baseline survey, which is similar to rates found in a previous study among formerly homeless populations placed in PSH. Major themes identified through an analysis of resident feedback include (1) lack of needed kitchenware/appliances for food preparation, (2) knowledge gaps on how to purchase and prepare healthier food, (3) positive perceptions of healthy food options, (4) expanded preferences for healthy, easy-to-prepare foods, (5) regaining cooking skills lost during homelessness, (6) positive experiences participating in group activities, (7) community re-entry, and (8) resident ownership. Preliminary findings suggest the use of a human-centered design methodology for planning and implementing this multi-level CHW intervention helped reduce food insecurity, engaged participants in learning and adopting healthy and safe cooking and eating practices, and fostered social connectedness and feelings of community among formerly chronically homeless PSH residents.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane E. Hamilton & Diana C. Guevara & Sara F. Steinfeld & Raina Jose & Farrah Hmaidan & Sarah Simmons & Calvin W. Wong & Clara Smith & Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk & Shreela V. Sharma, 2024. "Pilot Implementation of a Nutrition-Focused Community-Health-Worker Intervention among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults in Permanent Supportive Housing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-16, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:1:p:108-:d:1321828
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/1/108/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/1/108/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Henwood, B.F. & Cabassa, L.J. & Craig, C.M. & Padgett, D.K., 2013. "Permanent supportive housing: Addressing homelessness and health disparities?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(S2), pages 188-192.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Min Zhou & Wei Guo, 2023. "Self-rated Health and Objective Health Status Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China: A Healthy Housing Perspective," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-24, February.
    2. Fernando Fajardo-Bullón & Jesús Pérez-Mayo & Igor Esnaola, 2021. "The Association of Interpersonal Relationships and Social Services with the Self-Rated Health of Spanish Homelessness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Mounah Abdel-Samad & Jerel P. Calzo & Jennifer K. Felner & Lianne Urada & Matthew E. Verbyla & Hala Madanat & Brian E. Adams & Thais Alves & Bruce Appleyard & Joshua Chanin & Shawn Flanigan & Hisham F, 2021. "Conceptualizing an Interdisciplinary Collective Impact Approach to Examine and Intervene in the Chronic Cycle of Homelessness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Kimberly A. Rollings & Christina S. Bollo, 2021. "Permanent Supportive Housing Design Characteristics Associated with the Mental Health of Formerly Homeless Adults in the U.S. and Canada: An Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-37, September.
    5. Pauline Rhenter & Delphine Moreau & Christian Laval & Jean Mantovani & Amandine Albisson & Guillaume Suderie & French Housing First Study Group & Mohamed Boucekine & Aurelie Tinland & Sandrine Loubièr, 2018. "Bread and Shoulders: Reversing the Downward Spiral, a Qualitative Analyses of the Effects of a Housing First-Type Program in France," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, March.
    6. Brothers, Sarah & Lin, Jess & Schonberg, Jeffrey & Drew, Corey & Auerswald, Colette, 2020. "Food insecurity among formerly homeless youth in supportive housing: A social-ecological analysis of a structural intervention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    7. Nav Persaud & Liane Steiner & Hannah Woods & Tatiana Aratangy & Susitha Wanigaratne & Jane Polsky & Stephen Hwang & Gurleen Chahal & Andrew Pinto, 2019. "Health outcomes related to the provision of free, tangible goods: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-29, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:1:p:108-:d:1321828. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.