Background: COVID-19 has taken its toll on citizens in all 50 states of the United States. The United States (U.S.) leads the world with 30,291,863 confirmed reported cases and 549,664 deaths as of March 29, 2021 compared to globally confirmed cases at 127,442,926 and 2,787,915 deaths as of March 29, 2021. The U.S. federal government primarily left the response to the virus to individual states, and each implemented varying measures designed to protect health of citizens and the state’s economic well-being. Unintended consequences of the virus and measures to stop its spread may include decreased physical activity and exercise, shifting access and consumption of food, and lower quality-of-life. Therefore, our primary goal was to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on health and well-being by measuring changes in physical activity, mental health-quality of life, food security and nutrition in adults ages 40 and older. We believed shifts in health behaviors would be more prevalent in minorities, less educated, lower socio-economic status, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions, so a secondary goal was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on these sub-populations. Methods: We conducted an online survey with 9969 adults 40 years and older between 9 August and 15 September 2020 in urban areas across the four U.S. census regions. The survey included questions about demographic variables, pre-existing health conditions, physical activity, access to food, quality-of-life, and nutritional food status and asked participants to respond with information from pre-pandemic and pandemic conditions. We used paired-sample t-tests to detect changes in variables after the start of the pandemic and Cohen’s d to determine effect sizes. Results: Our main findings showed a decrease in physical activity since the onset of COVID-19 for minorities and non-minorities. Food security also slightly increased for minorities during the pandemic, but we found no other changes in food security, quality-of-life indicators, or nutritional status of those who responded to this survey. Conclusions: It is concerning that physical activity declined. Such activity helps maintain physical and mental health, and it is also an important time to socialize for many older adults. In many ways, our data indicate that the older adult population in U.S. cities may be more resilient than expected during the pandemic. However, the pandemic could have negative impacts that we did not detect, either due to the survey instrument or the timing of our survey, so the health and well-being of older adults should continue to be monitored in order to mitigate potential negative impacts.

The quality and quantity of food consumption have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the consumption of different food groups in order to close the research gap by providing current evidence that reflects a later stage of the pandemic compared to other circulating research conducted at earlier stages. Data collection for this cross-sectional study was performed via an online Qualtrics survey from 10,050 adults aged 40–100 years. Nutritional status was measured using the 24-item short-form Dietary Screening Tool (DST) twice: before and since the COVID-19 pandemic. The DST questions were categorized based on MyPlate items, along with fat, sugar, and sweet items, as well as nutritional supplement intake. In addition, the total DST score was calculated for each participant, which categorized them into one of three groups: “at risk”, “possible risk”, and “not at risk”. The results revealed that the consumption of grains, fruit, lean protein, and dairy decreased significantly, while the consumption of fat, sugar, and sweet items increased significantly due to COVID-19. The biggest decreases in consumption of food subcategories were related to whole grain bread and cereal, followed by fruit as a snack, in comparison with other types of grain and fruit. No changes in the consumption of vegetables, processed meat, or supplement intake were seen. The total DST score showed that, before and since COVID-19, the overall nutrition status of adult Americans has been at risk. In addition, of those participants who were not at risk before COVID-19, 28.5% were either at risk or at possible risk since COVID-19; moreover, of those participants who were at possible risk before COVID-19, 21% were at risk since COVID-19. As a good nutritional status can reduce the risk of severe illness or even mortality rate in times of crisis, the findings of this study can help policymakers and health educators to develop heath-protecting behavior sessions against future pandemics to manage crises.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the quality and quantity of people’s food consumption. Objective: This study aimed to explore the dietary shifts among different racial groups resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on changes in consumption across various food categories. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of 10,050 urban residents aged 40–100 years across the United States. Dietary patterns among African American, Asian, Hispanic, and White populations were assessed before and since the pandemic (retrospective condition) using the Dietary Screening Tool (DST). The DST investigates consumption trends in food groups aligned with the MyPlate guidelines, plus fat, sugar, and sweet (FSS) intake and processed meats. Results: This study found significant shifts in food consumption patterns among racial groups since COVID-19. The data indicate that African American individuals largely reduced their consumption of several food groups compared to White individuals, with a 43% decrease in processed meats, 42% in dairy, 36% in lean protein, 21% in fruit, 17% in grains, and 15% in FSS, although their vegetable consumption did not significantly decrease. African American individuals also consumed 66% less processed meat, 57% less dairy, and 30% less lean protein in comparison to Asian individuals. Hispanic individuals also showed a tendency to reduce their consumption more than White individuals, with a 34% decrease in dairy, 28% in vegetables, and 24% in fruit. In contrast, Asian individuals consumed 37% less FSS and 34% less grains than White individuals. Additionally, when compared to Asian individuals, Hispanic individuals consumed 49% less dairy and 47% less processed meat. The findings also revealed that African American individuals were the most nutritionally vulnerable group since the pandemic. Specifically, they were 38% and 35% more likely to be considered at nutritional risk than Asians and White participants, respectively. Conclusions: These findings illuminate the considerable dietary shifts induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasize the critical need to address the racial disparities in nutritional vulnerability and public health policy.

Background: The global outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly altered everyday routines, even influencing dietary behaviors and food choices. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in the consumption of various food sources and to examine the likelihood of nutritional vulnerability while exploring potential age and sex differences. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design through an online survey using the Qualtrics platform. Participants’ nutritional risk was assessed both before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (retrospectively) using the Dietary Screening Tool. This study involved a large sample of 10,050 participants aged between 40 and 100 years. The main outcome measures included changes in food consumption after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (from 9 August to 15 September 2020) and the likelihood of being classified as “nutritionally vulnerable” across different age and sex groups. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare dietary changes before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, chi-square tests were used to explore categorical differences, and binary logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of nutritional vulnerability. Results: The analysis revealed significant sex- and age-related differences in food consumption patterns after the onset of the pandemic. Men had a 30% greater likelihood of decreased dairy and processed meat consumption than women after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant reductions in the consumption of processed meats (130%), vegetables (96%), lean protein (33%), and dairy (11%) were observed among individuals aged 40–60 years compared to those aged 81–100 years. The 61–80-year age group had a greater reduction in dairy consumption (21%) than the 81–100-year age group. Furthermore, women exhibited 17% greater odds of being classified as “nutritionally vulnerable” after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, age did not emerge as a significant predictor of nutritional vulnerability. Conclusions: The findings of this study can inform public health practitioners when developing interventions for improving dietary habits during and after pandemics, especially among vulnerable populations.

Graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students face significant mental health challenges, yet little research examines how well-being interventions transfer across institutional contexts. This study uses an implementation science lens to examine lessons learned from replicating the Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM (M-HOPES) initiative at an urban Historically Black University. Employing a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, baseline survey data from 24 STEM students and faculty were analyzed descriptively and thematically to assess contextual fit, engagement, and structural barriers. Findings indicate that financial precarity, institutional overload, and mentoring variability shape program feasibility and student resilience. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of replicating a graduate STEM mental health initiative within an urban HBCU, advancing implementation science by identifying structural and cultural conditions that influence intervention sustainability.

Background/Objectives: Hispanic adolescents experience disproportionately high rates of obesity and diet-related health risks, yet the family and parenting factors that shape their dietary behaviors remain incompletely understood. This study examined associations between parent sociodemographic characteristics and family meal frequency; among general parenting styles, food parenting practices, and family meal frequency; and between family meal frequency and adolescent intake across major USDA food groups, among Hispanic parent–adolescent dyads. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 251 Hispanic parent–adolescent dyads (adolescents aged 10–17 years). Parents reported sociodemographic characteristics, general parenting styles (Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire), and food parenting practices (Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire). Adolescents self-reported dietary intake using the Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire. Family meal frequency was categorized as ≤2, 3–6, or ≥7 meals per week. Results: Older parents (p = 0.034) and married parents (p = 0.036) reported more frequent family meals than younger and unmarried parents. In adjusted multivariable models, more frequent family meals were associated with greater parental responsiveness (overall p = 0.009), involvement (overall p = 0.006), expectations (overall p = 0.047), monitoring (overall p = 0.037), and encouragement (overall p < 0.001). None of the five food group outcomes—dairy, fruit, grains, protein foods, or vegetables—showed a significant overall adjusted association with family meal frequency. Conclusions: Frequent family meals appear closely connected with supportive parenting practices among Hispanic adolescents, independent of sociodemographic characteristics, but were not independently associated with intake of any specific food group. Interventions to improve adolescent nutrition in Hispanic families may benefit from promoting both regular family meals and supportive food parenting practices.