Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Universal Free Meals During Covid-19 On Family Life And Perspective Of School Meals In Central Washington State, Charlotte Green

All Master's Theses

This study explored the impact of the USDA COVID-19 Universal Free Meal (UFM) waivers on family life, school meal participation, and child eating habits from parents with children in Central Washington state (WA) schools. n = 119 parents/caregivers with students who were in K-12^th grade in Central WA from August 2019-February 2023 completed a 10 question electronic, and descriptive survey. The survey measured changes in participation in school lunch/breakfast pre to post COVID-19 waiver, which provided free meals for all children, and whether UFM were beneficial to families, impacted perception of school food, child’s sense of community at school …

Impact Of The Washington State Covid-19 Lockdown On 5-10-Year-Ol School-Aged Children Residing In Kitties County, Peyton Rondeau

All Master's Theses

Background: The Washington State COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent school closures brought increased dependency on parents to provide nutritious meals and opportunities for physical activity for their children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the impacts of the Washington State COVID-19 lockdown on the dietary, physical activity, and screen time habits of children ages 5-10-years-old residing in Kittitas County.

Methods: A researcher-developed Qualtrics survey was created and validated via the Index of Item Objective Congruence. The survey was administered to parents via Facebook, using local Kittitas County Facebook groups.

Results: Most parents identified that the Washington lockdown negatively …

Associations Between Atherogenic Markers And Hearing Loss: National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey: 2011-2012, 2015-2016, Anna Anya Rombakh

All Master's Theses

Importance Hearing loss (HL) is a major public health problem that has been previously found to be associated with abnormal atherogenic markers.

Objective To investigate the associations between such atherogenic markers and the degree of HL using continuous NHANES data from cycle years 2011-2012 and 2015-2016.

Design, Study, and Participants This observational study used data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle years 2011-2012 and 2015-2016. NHANES continuously conducts data collection via home interviews and physical exams completed in their Mobile Examination Centers. NHANES participants ages 20-69 who partook in audiometry, anthropometric and laboratory testing were included. …

The Relationship Between Eating Disorders, Weight Control Methods, And Body Satisfaction In Elite Female Runners Competing At The 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Sophia Elizabeth Berg

All Master's Theses

The prevalence of eating disorders in athletes is higher than in the general population. Various training styles, weight periodization, and presence of eating disorder (ED) may affect energy availability. This study investigated the relationship between lifetime prevalence of ED with training, body satisfaction, and weight-control methods among elite female endurance athletes. Female runners who participated in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon completed an online questionnaire examining training volume, weight-control methods, and self-reported current or past ED. Questions 1-19 were analyzed for this investigation. Participants were grouped according to responses on presence of ED. Thirty-two percent of participants reported …

Farmers Market Education With Supplemental Voucher Improves Farmers Market Awareness In Elementary Children, Ali Papendick

All Master's Theses

Purpose:The purpose of this pilot intervention study was to provide farmers market (FM) education coupled with FM voucher to assess FM awareness, attendance, and voucher use. Methods:Kindergarten through 3^rdgrade students attending a summer school program participated in this three-week FM pilot intervention study. A pre/post intervention questionnaire was distributed to students to assess FM awareness and attendance. In addition, an $8 FM voucher was provided to children for purchases of fruit and vegetables at the local FM. The voucher was valid for two weeks and fruit and vegetable purchases were recorded each week. Results:This study …

Community Readiness Assessment: Applications For Community Nutrition Research, Whitney E. Houser

All Master's Theses

Trends in qualitative community nutrition research demonstrate a powerful, emerging perspective in the midst of a field historically dominated by quantitative methods of inquiry. For this qualitative study, ten key respondents were purposively selected and interviewed using the Community Readiness Model (CRM) to capture community knowledge of food insecurity issues and strategies. Data were analyzed using anchored rating scales, revealing readiness at a stage three, characterized by a vague awareness of local food insecurity. The purpose of this study is to report on the strengths and challenges of the CRM experienced when utilizing the model to address food insecurity. The …

Investigation Into School Lunch Quality Following Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act Implementation, Katherine N. Smith

All Master's Theses

The relationship between school lunch quality and the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) revised nutrition standards was investigated. School Lunches from four Washington State elementary schools that earned HealthierUS School Challenge awards. Nutrition content of the meals selected and consumed was assessed using before and after digital photos. Meals were scored using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to determine meal quality. Results were based on 1033 lunches (509 pre-HHFKA in Spring 2012 and 524 in Spring 2013) and revealed improved HEI scores for most components post-HHFKA implementation school lunches both served and consumed. Implications of the differences in HEI …

The Effects Of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Docosahexaenoic Acid And 5-Fluorouracil On Human Breast Cancer Cells, Liv Astri Engelsen

All Master's Theses

It is well documented that vitamin D and DHA have antiproliferative effects on a variety of human cancers, including breast cancer. Studies have shown that a combination approach to cancer treatment is more effective than any one treatment administered alone. In this study, human mammary epithelial cells from the MCF-7 cell line were treated with 25 μM DHA, 1 μM calcitriol, and 15 μM 5-Fluorourocil alone and in multiple combinations for 72 hours. Both DHA and 5-Fluorouracil slowed growth significantly (p < 0.05). In contrast, vitamin D did not inhibit cell growth at 1 μM. The combination of vitamin D and DHA inhibited cell growth slightly more than DHA alone. Interestingly, DHA was just as effective as 5-Fluorouracil at inhibiting cell growth. These results suggest that DHA may be just as efficacious as 5-Fluorouracil in slowing breast cancer progression and therefore may suggest a dietary approach to breast cancer treatment with low toxicity.

Project Grow: A Plan To Grow An Edible Garden In A Poverty-Affected School To Improve Parent Involvement And Increase Student Knowledge Of Nutrition, Wendy Michelle Wickersham

All Graduate Projects

Growing an edible garden in a poverty-affected school serves multiple purposes. It provides a way to increase parent involvement at the school while increasing student knowledge of nutrition. This comprehensive plan prepares a school to implement a school garden run solely by teacher, students, parents, and community volunteers. The potential results are that parents will get involved at their child's school while the students can learn about nutrition along with their families.

The Relationship Of Citrus By-Products To The Cattle Industry In Florida, Roland Lloyd Dewing

Graduate Student Research Papers

For many years Florida has led the United States in citrus production and since 1946 has been the source of great quantities of citrus wastes as a result of the production of frozen citrus concentrates. Conversion of these wastes into feed for the rapidly growing cattle industry has provided an effective and profitable way to dispose of these wastes. Since Florida does not produce large amounts of grain or other feed concentrates, the development of citrus feeds has been fortunate both for the citrus and cattle industries in the state. The situation is so fortunate that authoritative sources have maintained …