Life Sciences Commons^™

Perceptions Related To Dietary Supplements Among College Students, Bethany Hope Brown

Masters Theses

Introduction: Prior research has shown that dietary supplement use is a common practice among college students. Most of these studies used surveys and questionnaires to provide an overview of supplement use in the U.S. However, in-depth information on college students’ perceptions and/or concerns related to dietary supplement use is lacking. The aim of this study was to capture a deeper understanding of how college students perceive dietary supplements.

Methods: A qualitative case study design was used, which allowed a greater understanding of the case through content analysis. The study used a secondary database, which consisted of web log (blog) posts …

Youth Can! Grow Healthy!, Andrew Nils Carberry

Masters Theses

This study presents a formative evaluation of an afterschool program that combined youth development and school garden curricula. This program used a novel approach to teach elementary school children about fruits and vegetables and to engage them in advocacy for the physical activity and nutrition environments in their community. The youth development curriculum included sessions on team building, community pride, healthy eating and physical activity, and advocacy. Photovoice was used as a method to allow participants to assess their community and communicate findings with leaders. Participants selected community leaders to invite to their school and shared their findings via a …

Family Mealtimes, Dietary Quality, And Body Mass Index In Children, Claudia Christine Favre

Masters Theses

Frequency of family mealtimes has been positively linked to dietary quality and weight status in children; however, there is a lack of research identifying what components of family mealtimes are associated with this positive effect. This study investigated family mealtime components that may impact dietary intake and weight status in children aged 5-11 years.

Participants were 50 parent/child pairs (child: age = 7.3 ± 2.0 years, female = 44%, standardized body mass index (zBMI) = 0.55 ± 1.0, overweight/obese = 26.0%; parent: age = 36.8 ± 8.7 years, female = 76%, BMI = 29.0 ± 6.6 kg/m2, overweight/obese = 74.0%) …

The Effects Of Exercise On Acute Energy Balance And Macronutrient Intake, Emily N. Jokisch

Masters Theses

This investigation examined acute energy compensation and macronutrient intake in habitually active and sedentary, college-aged males, following an exercise session as compared to a resting (control) session, to see if habitually active males compensate intake better to an energy deficit incurred by exercise, than sedentary males.

Participants were males, aged 18-30 years, of a normal percent body fat and body mass index, and exercised < 60 min per week (sedentary) or > 150 min per week (habitually active). Participants came in for two sessions: 1) 45 minutes of resting (control) and then eating an ad libitum meal; and 2) riding a cycle ergometer for 45 minutes (exercise) and …

Regulation Of Angiotensinogen In Adipocytes By Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Sarah Jean Fletcher

Masters Theses

Adipose tissue is well-recognized as an endocrine organ which secretes a variety of bioactive molecules, including angiotensin II and its precursor angiotensinogen (Agt). There is mounting evidence linking the adipose renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and diet to obesity and obesity-related disorders. However, research addressing dietary regulation and function of adipose RAS is limited, and the specific mechanisms by which PUFAs modulate the endocrine function of adipose tissue remain largely unclear. There are several potential mechanisms that may mediate PUFA effects on Agt, including toll-like receptor signalling, prostaglandins or PPAR-gamma. Thus, we propose to investigate whether PUFAs differentially modulate Agt expression and …