Digital Commons Network^™

Vitamin D Deficiency In The United States: How Common Is It?, Christine N. Arnold

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in the US is more prevalent than before estimated. Given the numerous roles vitamin D plays in the body, it is becoming apparent that the need for adequate intake is vital. It is generally accepted that adults require 1,000 IU per day.

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted using Google Scholar and Elsevier databases. Search terms included “vitamin D deficiency”, “vitamin D deficiency US”, and “vitamin D screening”. Databases were reviewed for prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the US.

Results: Populations at high risk for deficiency include the elderly, adolescents, people with darker skin, those who …

Evaluation And Validation Of Bodpod Body Scan Method As Compared To Dexa, Effect Of Calcium And Caloric Intake In Female Collegiate Track Athletes, Jennifer Day

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the BODPOD air displacement plethysmography as compared to the DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) in testing body fat percentages in female collegiate runners. The link between caloric intake and body fat distribution, as well as the link between calcium and vitamin D intake and bone density was also evaluated.

Methods: Participants were 8 female collegiate athletes from the USU track team. A 3-day diet history was obtained from each participant and body fat test were performed using both the BODPOD and the DEXA scans within a four month period due …

An Investigation Of Dietary Supplementation As A Potential Source Of Nutrition Misinformation Hindering The Development Of Healthy Eating Habits In The College Population, Mary Dimmick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Current dietary supplement legislation allows nutrition misinformation to flourish; misleading structure‐function and health‐claims now abound on supplement labels. Meanwhile, college students tend to be open to experimentation and exploration. Hence, this study’s objective was to discover if students at USU are being influenced by such claims to unjustifiably take dietary supplements in a manner which hinders the development of healthy eating habits. During August of 2009, 1,300 USU freshmen were invited to voluntarily participate in an on‐line survey concerning dietary patterns which included a section about dietary supplementation. Five‐hundred‐and‐twelve completed the survey after providing informed written consent to participate. The …

Significant Interactions With The Most Commonly Used Herbal And Nonherbal Supplements Impact Warfarin Safety And Efficacy, Brittany Jean Sagers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Nearly 20% of adult Americans used herbal therapies in 2007, but greater than two-thirds failed to report such use to their medical provider. Significant patient harm may occur when herbal supplements are taken in conjunction with warfarin; however, patients and medical providers may not be aware of these interactions and this may place patients at risk for life-threatening bleeds or thrombotic complications.

Methods: The authors determined the top 25 herbal and 25 nonherbal supplements used by Americans using sales data from 2008, and each product was reviewed for its potential to interact with warfarin. Electronic searches were conducted using …

To What Extent Do Local Farmers' Markets, Community Supported Agriculture Programs, And Community Gardens Help Low-Income Families Improve Access To Fresh, Local Produce?, Christy Gene Somsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs, and Community Gardens have been developed to help farmers. Many times, they also aim to help low-income families improve access to fresh produce. Often, these programs may end up helping a larger amount of middle class families instead of lower class families. There have been many programs developed to try to better help low-income families such as the Women Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and allowing farmers to accept WIC Cash Value Vouchers (CVV), which allows WIC participants to buy fresh produce. Farm to School Programs have also been …

Weight Discrimination: Why Current Perceptions Need To Change, Kelsey Rae Eller

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Discrimination based on weight has been labeled the last form of socially acceptable prejudice. Weight discrimination is becoming more and more prevalent in schools, the workplace, social settings, the media, and even in healthcare. Overweight and obese individuals are often stereotyped as lazy, addicted to food, and lacking self-discipline and initiative, and as a result may struggle with decreased employment opportunities, fear and shame in public, attempting dangerous weight loss methods, or even eating disorders.

This project seeks to identify and examine research that has been done on this subject in order to increase awareness of weight bias and to …