Digital Commons Network^™

Ecologies, Synergies, And Biological Systems Shaping Human Milk Composition—A Report From “Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis Of Infant Nutrition (Begin)” Working Group 2, Jennifer T. Smilowitz, Lindsay H. Allen, David C. Dallas, James Mcmanaman, Daniel J. Raiten, Mary Rozga, David A. Sela, Antti Seppo, Janet E. Williams, Bridget E. Young, Michelle K. Mcguire

Food Science Department Faculty Publication Series

Human milk is universally recognized as the preferred food for infants during the first 6 mo of life because it provides not only essential and conditionally essential nutrients in necessary amounts but also other biologically active components that are instrumental in protecting, communicating important information to support, and promoting optimal development and growth in infants. Despite decades of research, however, the multifaceted impacts of human milk consumption on infant health are far from understood on a biological or physiological basis. Reasons for this lack of comprehensive knowledge of human milk functions are numerous, including the fact that milk components tend …

Essays On Advertising, Sodium Intake, And Soda Taxes, Ezgi Cengiz

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation empirically explores the economics of advertising, sodium intake, and sweetened beverage taxes in food and beverages industries in the United States. I use recent advances in econometrics and statistics and provide causally interpretable results to deepen our understanding of how individuals respond to changes in advertising and public health policies in consumer packaged good industries. In the first chapter, titled “Is traditional advertising effective? New evidence from mass-produced lager beer in the United States,” I present new evidence regarding the effectiveness of traditional advertising on product demand for mass-produced lager beer in the United States using …

Utilizing A Toolkit With Individualized Food Label Education For Healthy Food Choices To Reduce The Burden Of Chronic Disease Among Black Americans, Johanna M. Kasidi

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background/Purpose: Black Americans are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases related to diet including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and stroke when they lack healthy food options and healthy living environments. The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a toolkit that primary care providers could use to educate and support Black adults in adopting healthy diet habits to improve overall outcomes and work towards decreasing this disparity.

Methods: This quality improvement project took place at a Community Health Clinic in an urban neighborhood. Participants received nutrition education utilizing a graphic titled “Your Nutrition Facts” …

Cranberry Proanthocyanidins And Dietary Oligosaccharides Synergistically Modulate Lactobacillus Plantarum Physiology, Ezgi Özcan, Michelle Rozycki, David Sela

Food Science Department Faculty Publication Series

Plant-based foods contain bioactive compounds such as polyphenols that resist digestion and potentially benefit the host through interactions with their resident microbiota. Based on previous observations, we hypothesized that the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum interacts with cranberry polyphenols and dietary oligosaccharides to synergistically impact its physiology. In this study, L. plantarum ATCC BAA-793 was grown on dietary oligosaccharides, including cranberry xyloglucans, fructooligosaccharides, and human milk oligosaccharides, in conjunction with proanthocyanidins (PACs) extracted from cranberries. As a result, L. plantarum exhibits a differential physiological response to cranberry PACs dependent on the carbohydrate source and polyphenol fraction introduced. Of the two PAC extracts …

Developmental Exposures To Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (Pfos) Impact Embryonic Nutrition, Pancreatic Morphology, And Adiposity In The Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Karilyn E. Sant, Kate Annunziato, Sarah Conlin, Gregory Teicher, Phoebe Chen, Olivia Venezia, Gerald B. Downes, Yeonhwa Park, Alicia R. Timme-Laragy

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publication Series

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent environmental contaminant previously found in consumer surfactants and industrial fire-fighting foams. PFOS has been widely implicated in metabolic dysfunction across the lifespan, including diabetes and obesity. However, the contributions of the embryonic environment to metabolic disease remain uncharacterized. This study seeks to identify perturbations in embryonic metabolism, pancreas development, and adiposity due to developmental and subchronic PFOS exposures and their persistence into later larval and juvenile periods. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 16 or 32 μM PFOS developmentally (1–5 days post fertilization; dpf) or subchronically (1–15 dpf). Embryonic fatty acid and macronutrient concentrations and …

Small Farm Husbandry: Cow, Sheep And Goat For Meat Production, Nicole Burton

Sustainability Education Resources

This course provides students with a farmer’s perspective on the sustainable management of cows, sheep and goats on a small farm. The course provides students with a clear understanding of how to think through the planning and management of cows, sheep and goats for meat production. All aspects from purchasing and nutrition to marketing and finances will be addressed. This course also brings awareness to the U.S. meat industry and supports students in becoming educated consumers and producers. Students will walk away with a rudimentary plan on how to incorporate ruminants into their small farm plan.

Food Writing, Carol Ann Connare Ms

Sustainability Education Resources

This advanced writing four-credit course approaches food writing from a news reporting perspective. The Pioneer Valley is home to a network of food producers, from farmers and cheesemakers to brewers and beekeepers. Students will travel into the field to meet people who make and grow what we eat, conducting interviews and collecting information to synthesize into multimedia stories for publication around themes such as health, history, travel, ecology, animal welfare, social change, nutrition, and home cooking. Students will experience the full spectrum of food writing—blogs, magazine articles, personal essays, reviews, recipes, social and cultural commentary—and create stories in a variety …

Effectiveness Of Interventions And Behaviour Change Techniques For Improving Dietary Intake In Young Adults: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Rcts, Lee M. Ashton, Thomas Sharkey, Megan C. Whatnall, Rebecca L. Williams, Aaron Bezzina, Elroy J. Aguiar, Clare E. Collins, Melinda J. Hutchesson

Kinesiology Department Faculty Publication Series

Poor eating habits are common during young adulthood and influence chronic disease morbidity. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve dietary intake among young adults and, identifies which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are most effective. Six electronic databases were searched for RCTs published until October 2018, and evaluating behavioural interventions assessing change in dietary intake in young adults (17–35 years). Of the 18,779 articles identified, 54 were included. Forty studies focused on fruit and/or vegetable intake, of which 63% showed a significant between-group difference in favour of the intervention group. Meta-analysis (n = 17) demonstrated a …

Food Insecurity At A Four-Year College Campus, Danielle Corrado

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper, through an adaption of the United States Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security survey tool, aims to identify food insecurity rates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the demographic characteristics associated with food insecurity, potential financial factors that contribute and predict food insecurity rates, and the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance. Lastly, this paper examines on and off campus resources available to students and students perception of food insecurity before college as compared to actual food security status in college.

Promoting Healthy Diets: Challenges And Opportunities Of Nutrition Policy Implementation In Food Banks, Sarah Brown-Anson, Elizabeth Leibinger, Hadassah Masudi Minga

School of Public Policy Capstones

In recent years, food banks have grown increasingly aware of the role diet plays in wide-spread public health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Food banks already purchase healthy foods directly and select nutritious items distributed by government programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Recently, some banks have implemented nutrition policies to regulate donations made by businesses and individuals to further decrease the volume of less healthy options in their warehouses.

This study explores the challenges and opportunities associated to the implementation of nutrition policies for donated food items by Food Banks in the USA. …

Micronutrients, Inflammation And Depression Among Women Of Reproductive Age From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008, Joycelyn M. Faraj

Doctoral Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of disease burden among women. Recent evidence indicates that inflammation is associated with depression, and factors that contribute to inflammation can be addressed through nutritional and lifestyle interventions. Vitamins B₆ and D have been linked with depression and have established roles in inflammation, yet their associations with depression in the presence of low-grade inflammation remain unknown. The purpose of this research was to investigate how high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a biomarker of inflammation, contributes to different dimensions of depression and to determine to what degree inflammation affects the association between vitamins B_{6 …}

Nutrition & Physical Activity Newsletters, Dianne Dwyer

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: School-age children in Kettering, Ohio are at risk of morbidity from chronic disease indicated by the percentage of overweight children in the state compared to national averages. A food program has been established to provide children of low-income families free and reduced meals. Currently the food program does not include education on nutrition and physical activity as recommended by national guidelines. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to add an educational intervention for nutrition and physical activity to the current food program in order to meet the current guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. Methods: Monthly newsletters …

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Manual, Haeree H. Park

Student Showcase

This manual is a resource for fisheries, hatcheries, and farms of all types that wish to exercise a sustainable management system utilizing black soldier fly larvae through the minimization of waste. Although black soldier fly larvae can be fed to small livestock such as chickens and rodents, this project and manual are tailored specifically to freshwater fish in hopes of closing the significant gap and inefficiencies of fish management and subsequent waste throughout the New England coastal area. There is an evident opportunity to harness black soldier fly larvae’s extraordinary bioconversion of organic matter that can lead to not only …

Evaluation Of The Springfield Menu Program, Hannah Stenger

Masters Theses

Studies have shown that many low-income and disadvantaged Americans have a poor diet quality, which increases obesity and chronic disease risk. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, education and income levels of Springfield residents are well below state averages, and racial diversity in Springfield has increased significantly over the past few decades. Springfield’s demographics increase the risk of health disparities in the community, and higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are seen in Springfield. To promote healthy eating behaviors among Springfield residents, Mason Square Health Task Force (MSHTF), a Live Well Springfield (LWS) partner, created a …

Food And Diet In The Andes: Changing Markets And Lives In Nuñoa, James A. Fisher

Masters Theses

The town of Nuñoa, located in the southern Peruvian Andes, has been the ongoing focus of anthropological research. Household surveys of diet and food security (n=69) administered during 2012 are analyzed here and compared to past studies from previous decades. Study results show clearly that the amount and diversity of new foods available in the area has increased dramatically, but also gives evidence for continued disparate access to certain types of food along class lines. Socioeconomic status had a significant negative correlation with food insecurity and poor households more frequently consumed both potatoes and other cheap, high carbohydrate foods such …

Intuitive Eating, Attitudes To Food, And Body Size: A Comparison Between Nutrition Majors And Non-Majors, Katelyn Russell

Masters Theses

Dietitians are expected to deliver sound and scientifically objective advice to the general public, yet their personal beliefs and behaviors could influence delivery of nutrition care. Increased understanding of the personal attitudes and behaviors of dietitians concerning eating behavior and body image could help improve dietetic practice. Traditional nutrition education emphasizes cognitive eating, i.e., monitoring energy intake and comparing macronutrient intakes to the current acceptable ranges. Intuitive eating, however, promotes the release of cognitive eating in favor of greater attention to physiologic cues, or “body wisdom”. We hypothesized that nutrition students in a traditional curriculum would report eating less intuitively …

Flax: Food And Fiber, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

Highlights the versatile and nutritious flax plant, now cultivated worldwide.

Through A Critical Sociocultural Lens: Parents’ Perspectives Of An Early Childhood Program In Guatemala, Yaëlle Stempfelet

Master's Capstone Projects

The present case study is on an Early Childhood program in Guatemala based on participant parents’ feedback. The Early Childhood program is non-formal, focuses on emergent literacy and nutrition, and takes place in a community-run library in a poor, semi-rural town in the mountainous regions of Quiche, Guatemala. The library was set up by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that works in Guatemala as well as another neighboring country.

Using a critical sociocultural lens, this study assumes that the parents’ perceptions reflect the state of the program and that involving their feedback through this research will ultimately help to bolster the …

Society Of The Quarter: Sustainable Agriculture Education Association, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

A expose of the organization's innovative educational approaches for sustainable agriculture through the development, application, and research of teaching and learning practices. Includes the history, past conferences, and plans for an open access curriculum library.

The Impact Of Nutrition Education On Food Security Status And Food-Related Behaviors, Jamie A. Farrell

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Food insecure individuals do not always have access to adequate food for a healthy lifestyle and are at high risk of detrimental health outcomes. Researchers hypothesize that food insecurity leads to changes in dietary practices, including greater overall food purchase in times of adequate resources and purchase of low-cost, unhealthful foods when resources are constrained. Most measures of food insecurity do not measure changes in dietary practices and dietary quality. Research findings suggest education that provides alternative strategies to manage resources and improve dietary practices can improve food insecurity.

We assessed the relationship between 1) food security and ability to …

The Theory Of Compromised Eating Behavior, Ellen Frances Furman

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this inquiry was to develop substantive theory that describes the social process that influences the eating behavior of hospitalized older adults. Undernutrition or the inadequate intake of dietary nutrients necessary to maintain health, contributes to negative health outcomes such as increased morbidity and mortality in hospitalized older adults. Inadequate dietary intake is a risk factor for undernutrition. Despite the availability of vast resources within the hospital environment, hospitalized older adults have inadequate dietary intake. Undernutrition has been studied from a dietary intake perspective; however, why dietary intake remains inadequate is unknown. Inquiry of eating behavior and the …

Western Massachusetts Head Start Preschoolers' Vegetable Consumption In Response To A Puppet-Based Nutrition Education Intervention Focusing On The Sensory Properties Of Vegetables, Arielle M. Magro

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Multi-sensory nutrition education interventions aimed at promoting children’s preferences for vegetables have the potential to positively impact children’s intake of essential micronutrients and phytochemicals. We implemented our intervention in Western Massachusetts Head Start preschool classrooms, as part of Massachusetts Farm Fresh research project. Social cognitive theory, early childhood developmental milestones, and the play approach to learning provided the framework. During the 4-week intervention, eight vegetables were matched by appearance and growing process to create vegetable pairs (green bean-sugar snap pea, broccoli-cauliflower, beet-radish, and carrot-parsnip). Each week, two animal puppets introduced the children in the classroom to the vegetable pairs by …

The Massachusetts Bmi Letter: Parents' Responses, Conceptualizations Of Weight, And Health Literacy Skills, Lindsay J. Moyer

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

BACKGROUND: Since 2010, nurses in Massachusetts public schools have conducted state-mandated Body Mass Index (BMI) screening of first, fourth, seventh, and tenth graders and communicated results in a letter to parents/caregivers. The objective of this study was to explore parents’ responses to the BMI letter and their experiences with weight-related language used by health professionals. These two areas were examined in the context of parents’ health literacy skills and readability of the letter. METHODS: Readability of the letter was calculated using five common formulas. One-hour focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with a convenience sample of parents/caregivers …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of Dietetic Program Educators Regarding Use Of Distance Education And Computer-Based Simulations In Dietetics Education, Kirsten M. Schlein Ms.

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Distance education (DE) can address barriers to training nutrition professionals by offering a convenient, flexible and efficient way of learning. One particularly valuable teaching tool in DE is the use of computer-based simulations (CBS). CBS stimulates confidence building, acquisition of new knowledge, exposure to new and challenging patient cases in a safe learning environment, development of communication and critical thinking skills, and the cultivation of sensitivity towards patient needs. Despite the benefits, there is a lack of research examining dietetic educator’s perceptions of and experience with CBS. Goals of this study were to determine: 1) whether dietetic program educators were …

Hormesis Can And Does Work In Humans, Suresh I S Rattan, Dino Demirovic

Dose-Response: An International Journal

If we accept the validity of the general concept of physiological hormesis as being the phenomenon of achieving health beneficial effects by exposure to mild stress, then hormesis is being applied already and successfully to humans. The evidence for this is the well-demonstrated health benefits of regular and moderate exercise. Mild stress-induced activation of one or more intracellular pathways of stress response are central to this. Experimental studies performed on human cells in culture exposed to mild heat shock and other stresses provide biochemical and molecular evidence in support of the application of hormesis to human systems. Although several issues …

Vitamin D Status Among Bangladeshi Women Of Reproductive Age, Ann Micka

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Vitamin D deficiency is of particular concern among women in many south Asian countries due to low availability of vitamin D-rich foods, dark skin pigmentation, and cultural and religious practices that promote the wearing of concealing clothing. However, information regarding the vitamin D status of many subpopulations in south Asian countries is limited. The current study was conducted to assess the vitamin D status of 147 Bangladeshi women of reproductive age and determine whether vitamin D status influences susceptibility to arsenic-associated skin lesions (75 cases, 72 controls). Serum 25(OH)D3 levels were measured using a radioimmunoassay. The mean serum vitamin D …

Association Between Serum Ferritin And Body Composition In Young Women, Ujjwala S. Dandekar

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

No abstract provided.

Local Chef Inspires Healthy And Economical Cooking -- In A Flash, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

Local chef, Leslie Cerier, offers thought-provoking workshops about eating whole foods.

Local Chef Inspires Healthy And Economical Cooking -- In A Flash, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Local chef, Leslie Cerier, offers thought-provoking workshops about eating whole foods.

Beginner School 2008 - Cranberry Nutrition And Fertilizers, Carolyn J. Demoranville

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.