Life Sciences Commons^™

Berrycare: A Sustainable Community-Academia Nutrition Based Collaborative Program To Promote Well-Being In Older Adults, Abbey L. Moellering

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

With medical advancement and technology, generations are living longer. The process of aging is accompanied by development of chronic disease, reduced physical function, and increased risk of mortality. Older adults do not meet dietary requirements for fruits and vegetables due to lack of access, early satiety, socioeconomic factors, etc. Without proper attainment of fruit and vegetable recommendations, older adults are placed at risk of chronic disease. Interventions exist to help bridge the gap between older adult nutrition and currently established dietary guidelines. Built environments, such as community gardens, have received attentions in the public health arena as a successful way …

Promotion Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake Through Recipe Card Distribution And Sampling At Farmers’ Markets Throughout Kentucky, Umaima Sidra Afsheen Syeda

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports indicate that 8% and 6.3% of Kentuckians consume enough fruits and vegetables, respectively. The Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud (PIUKP) project is a recipe-development project that aims to boost produce consumption by incorporating local fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to implement promotional strategies using PIUKP recipes at farmers’ markets and determine their effects on consumers’ intent of purchasing and preparing the produce. The study was conducted at nine farmers’ markets across Kentucky (n=300) in collaboration with Cooperative Extension agents/assistants.

The consumers’ impression of the sample was positively …

Tanglewood Trail Walking And Voucher Program, Kelci Marie Mchugh

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Rural Appalachian populations have greater rates of obesity and chronic diseases attributed to lesser consumption of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and physical inactivity. Barriers to F/V consumption and physical activity include poor access and affordability. To help overcome these barriers, a community-initiated walking and farmers market F/V voucher program was implemented.

Participants were encouraged to walk (1.2 miles roundtrip) to the local farmers market to redeem a $10 voucher which could only be spent on F/V. The 16-week program (June – Sept) included 121 participants. Data was analyzed by creating two groups, low-engagers and high-engagers that differed significantly in the …

Evaluating The Experiences Of Fcs Cooperative Extension Agents Use Of Policy, Systems And Environmental Strategies To Reduce Obesity In Rural Counties, Jordan Lynn Bressler

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

High rates of obesity are seen across the country with rural areas disproportionately affected. Based on the socio-ecological model, policy, system, and environmental approaches targeted at the population level have the potential to create more sustainable health behavior change than individual level approaches. Historically, the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) has provided direct education related to healthy eating and active living in response to high obesity rates. Utilizing the resources and infrastructure of the CES, the Centers for Disease Control challenged CESs across the country to implement PSE strategies in counties with obesity rates greater than 40% through the CDC 1416 …

The Utilization Of Technology As An Approach To Improve Meal Planning And Dietary Intake, Alexa Lauren Kuziel

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The prevalence of obesity is rising in the United States and one factor that contributes to it is the lack of cooking at home and planning out meals. Since text messaging is now a main avenue of communication, it could be used to motivate people to plan out their meals and cook at home instead of consuming fast food. Current research on how weekly nudges might relate to peoples’ goals about meal preparation and dietary intake is very limited. The purpose of this study was to examine if sending weekly nudges, focusing on specific dietary goals, improves meal planning and …

Dive Into The Hunger Pool: Exploring Students’ Experiences, Coping Strategies, And Suggestions Related To Elements Of Food Security At The University Of Kentucky, The Nu Sandar Oo

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: College food insecurity (CFI) is a prevalent social justice and public health issue in the U.S. with the prevalence ranging between 15-59%. Though numerous quantitative studies were first conducted in the past decade, little qualitative research was conducted to assess CFI.

Objective: To explore and deeply understand the contexts of CFI at a land-grant university in Kentucky.

Methods: This qualitative study used a validated food insecurity survey tool and hour-long focus groups that were audio recorded and transcribed. Three theoretical models were combined into an adapted model and utilized for the thematic analysis.

Results: Thirty-three students participated in one …