Nutrition Commons^™

Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Food Security, Barriers To Healthy Eating, And Empowerment Among Dietetic Interns And Physician Assistant Interns: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study, Alison Campbell, Maren Stirling, Natalie Keele, Alisse Larkin, Rachel Crandall, Aubree N. Wilcox, Meghan Adair, Cloie Malan, Jaidyn Thomson, Alexis Bennett, Heather Jensen, Hadyn Flygare, Lacie Peterson, Holly Hopkins, Nikki Kendrick, Maria Givler, Rebecca Charlton, Katie N. Kraus

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Students are required to complete supervised practice hours prior to becoming Registered Dietitians and Physician Assistants. Research suggests that environmental and social factors affect dietetic interns’ diets during their internship, although these factors have not been studied among physician assistant interns. This cross-sectional study utilized an online survey to compare dietetic interns’ (n = 81) and physician assistant interns’ (n = 79) fruit and vegetable intake, food security, barriers to healthy eating, and empowerment for making healthy dietary choices during an internship. Differences were assessed via independent t-tests and chi-square distributions. The significance was set at p …

Webinars As A Tool For Increasing Awareness Of Diabetes Prevention And Management Programs, Cindy Jenkins, Carrie Durward, April Litchford, Catherine Hansen, Annette Prall, Caitlyn Jasumback

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Stakeholders sought to reduce the burden of preventable diabetes among adults in Utah via a “Food as Medicine” webinar series. The “Food as Medicine” webinar series sought to increase awareness of and enrollment in public diabetes programs. Evaluation results from the webinar series indicated an increase in awareness of diabetes programs and nutrition information needed to improve personal diabetes management.

Create Better Health Curriculum, Casey Coombs, Jaqueline Neid

All Current Publications

CBH is a comprehensive nutrition curriculum designed to teach adult SNAP-Ed participants how to eat well and be active on a budget. CBH combines nutrition and physical activity recommendations from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Each lesson has three components: a nutrition topic based on the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a physical activity discussion based on USDA recommendations, and a Create recipe demonstration and sample. The components are woven together in eight lessons that are designed to keep participants engaged, while actively learning the skills needed to create a healthier lifestyle.

Farmers Feeding Utah: Increasing Healthy Food Access And Supporting Local Agriculture, Heidi Leblanc, Casey Coombs

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The need for food assistance increased by 300% among Utah families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers and ranchers were also adversely impacted by market losses and processing shortages. In response, Farmers Feeding Utah was developed to facilitate access to fresh agricultural produce for families in need.

Rotc Cadets' Nutrition Knowledge & Behaviors: A Pilot Study, Mikaela Blake, Annika Israelsen, Tori Gossling, Jacob Lamb

Student Research Symposium

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) prepares college students for future military service. The ROTC includes a rigorous physical training program. As such, effective nutrition practices are necessary to maintain performance. The purpose of this study was to assess USU Cadets’ nutrition knowledge and practices to inform future research and intervention needs. Cadets were recruited through email and classroom announcements. Participants completed an online survey that gathered demographic, fitness, nutrition knowledge, nutrition behaviors, Intuitive Eating, perceived stress, and food security data. Results indicated that most cadets had a moderate knowledge of nutrition with a deficit in sports nutrition. This study …

Usu Rotc Cadet Focus Group Perspectives On Nutrition And Dietary Intake, Karli Mcrae, Hailee Pulli, Lexie Jex, Natalie Steiner

Student Research Symposium

Nutrition plays a significant role in supporting the physical performance of USU ROTC Cadets. The purpose of this research was to learn more about ROTC cadets' dietary habits, the reasons for their dietary choices, and gain feedback on what they think could improve their dietary intake. Two, 1-hour focus groups were conducted with 8 participants total. During each focus group, participants completed a brief survey about their dietary habits and discussed factors that influenced their food choices.The discussion included information on frequency of meals and snacks, impact of food on performance and lifestyle, ROTC culture surrounding nutrition, and potential helpful …

Broccoli, Lisa Lewis, Emily Morales, Heidi Leblanc

All Current Publications

This guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing broccoli.

Peas, Darlene Christensen

All Current Publications

This publication is part of the Guide to Eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and includes information on seasonal availability, eating, storing, and cooking peas.

Cilantro, Amanda Christensen

All Current Publications

This publication is part of the Create Better Health Guide to Eating Healthy and includes tips on selecting, growing, preparing, and storing cilantro.

Banana, Marie Stosich, Emily Morales, Heidi Leblanc

All Current Publications

This publication guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing bananas.

Go With Your Gut: The Role Of Gut Microbiota In Health, Lydia Bangerter, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Jeffrey Chapman, Abbigail Sundell, Carrie Durward

All Current Publications

Living within your gastrointestinal tract (gut) are about 100 trillion bacterial cells—your gastrointestinal microbiota—a host of bacteria that play a vital role in your body (Ghaisas, Maher, & Kanthasamy, 2016). Your gut microbiome is responsible for a wide variety of functions that contribute to overall health and may be linked to many chronic diseases including cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Ghaisaset al., 2016; Peregrin, 2013). This fact sheet will discuss the role the gut microbiome plays in various aspects of health and how to improve your gut health.

Pumpkins, Amanda Christensen

All Current Publications

This publication is part of the Create Better Health Guide to Eating Healthy and includes tips on selecting, growing, preparing, and storing pumpkins.

Jalapeno Peppers, Amanda Christensen

All Current Publications

This publication is part of the Create Better Health Guide to Eating Healthy and includes tips on selecting, growing, preparing, and storing jalapeno peppers.

Celery, Marie Stosich, Hilari Holgren

All Current Publications

This publication guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing celery.

Organization Of A Community Garden Program Through Utah State University Food $Ense And Master Gardener Extension Programs For Low-Income Families In Logan, Utah, Jackie Hendrickson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Nearly 12.3% of American households are food insecure. In Cache County, Utah, specifically, the rates of food insecurity are even higher (15%). Addressing the issue of food insecurity improves physical/mental health outcomes, childhood cognitive/physical development, family environments, and decreases healthcare costs. Evidence-based strategies to improve food security include increasing one’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables and improving self-efficacy. Community gardens are recognized as an initiative that improve participant’s levels of food security. In Utah, a number of community gardens exist, but none focus on food insecure individuals or include a curriculum of basic gardening and nutrition skills. Utah State …

Pilot Test Of An Online Asa24 Training With Efnep Educators, Lori Andersen Spruance, Abiodun Atoloye, Deirdre Douglass, Thea Palmer Zimmerman, Patricia M. Guenther, Karen Franck, Teresa Henson, Carla J. Moore, Gina Wood, Carrie M. Durward

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and usability of an online training to prepare Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) educators to collect 24-hr dietary recalls using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24). Fifty-eight educators in 17 states were recruited to take the training; 29 completed the online training, assisted two individuals in completing a 24-hr recall using ASA24, and completed a survey about their experiences. The sample included 26 respondents. The majority (n = 16; 61.5%) of the sample was EFNEP educators with college education. The majority of the respondents indicated …

Public Health Nutrition: Translating Research Into Practice, Casey Coombs, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Nurgul Fitzgerald, Tovah Wolf

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Public health nutrition is a unique, multifaceted discipline that includes a wide range of experts in the research, policy, and programming sectors.¹ A goal of the SNEB Public Health Nutrition Division is to help translate public health nutrition research into practice and policies. This translation process is essential to ensure practitioners have the tools to implement effective, evidence-based interventions that have demonstrated improvements in nutrition-related behaviors and health outcomes of the target audiences.^{2, 3} Furthermore, collaboration between researchers and practitioners is necessary to ensure that researchers are testing interventions that can feasibly be implemented in public health …

Create Better Health: A Practical Approach To Improving Cooking Skills And Food Security, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Casey Coombs, Jaqueline Neid-Avila, Jeffrey Chipman, Sara Nelson, Leslie Rowley, Heidi Leblanc

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Low-income individuals are at a higher risk for food insecurity, certain chronic diseases, and poor dietary intake as compared to their higher-income counterparts. As a result, it is essential that low-income individuals eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are provided with opportunities to advance their nutrition-related knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy. Unlike other federal nutrition assistance programs, SNAP participants receive benefits only once a month and have very few restrictions on what foods can be purchased. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is available to help SNAP-eligible individuals make healthy food choices with their SNAP benefits, incorporate physical activity …

Promoting Client Nutrition In Urban Utah Food Pantries, Casey Coombs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Food pantry clients are at an increased risk of poor diet quality which can lead to a variety of chronic diseases. Identifying nutrition interventions that help improve the dietary intake of this vulnerable population is important to help improve health outcomes. Utah’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), also known as Food $ense, partners with many pantries throughout the state to improve healthy food access. This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a pantry intervention, Thumbs Up for Healthy Choices, to evaluate its impact on food pantry clients’ selection and use of identified healthy foods. In addition to program …

Healthy Beginnings - Infant And Toddler Feeding, Chelsea Feller, Carrie Durward

All Current Publications

Having a hard time understanding what, when, and how to feed your infant or toddler? Or maybe you’re looking for some additional tips and tricks to add to what you already know. We provide research-based answers to those tough questions, plus more in this fact sheet.

Nutritional Needs And Attitudes Towards Having A Training Table: Insight From Players From A Division 1 Football Team, Katie Nicole Brown, Katelyn Imthurn, Samantha A. Ramsay

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective: Assess the nutritional needs of, and attitude towards expanding the provision of nutrition services to a division 1 football team who does not have a sports dietitian or a training table. Methods: A 26-item questionnaire was developed by two sports dietitians and administered to a football team from a small division 1 school. Demographic information, dietary fueling practices, and football players’ attitudes towards the provision of additional nutrition services was assessed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize athlete demographic characteristics, and Chi squared analysis assessed differences in responses based on grade in school, position, and residence. Results: Seventy-six football …

Nutrition And Genes Associated With Orofacial Cleft Birth Defects In Utah, Huong Dieu Meeks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are facial malformations that happen during early pregnancy and have a complex and heterogeneous etiology, involving both genetic and environmental risk factors. This project examined the association between maternal nutrition, folate-related biomarkers, candidate genes involved in one-carbon metabolism (OCM), and OFCs in order to achieve more comprehensive knowledge of how nutrition and genetics influence OFC risk. All studies performed in this project used the data collected in the Utah Child and Family Health Study (UCFHS) and the Johns Hopkins International Cleft Consortium.

Neither maternal periconceptional multivitamin use nor healthy dietary pattern score alone was individually associated with …

Sugar Substitutes: Artificial Sweeteners And Sugar Alcohols, Carolyn Washburn, Nedra Christensen

All Current Publications

Most people enjoy the sweet taste of food. Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols can provide the sweet flavor and be beneficial for people with diabetes or those choosing to avoid sugars because they contain lower calories and carbohydrates than regular sugars. These products are also beneficial in that they do not cause tooth decay.

The Effectiveness Of An Adapted Snap-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education) Curriculum For Adults With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities, Amanda Panting

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Rates of overweight and obese adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the United States are high and associated with increased risk of chronic diseases. Many of these adults are trying to become more independent in the community and live in group homes where care is managed by a paid employee. Group home managers assist clients with daily living such as shopping and meal preparation and play an important role in their care. Nutrition and healthy behavior choices are important to help keep this population independent and decrease risks of excess weight and related diseases. Many group home managers and …

Preschool Nutrition Education And Influences On Food Neophobia, Kelsey Eller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Food neophobia, the fear of new foods, has been identified as a significant barrier to the intake of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables in young children. Food neophobia can hinder dietary quality as well as dietary variety by limiting the development of food preferences. It has also been suggested that neophobia is linked to the development of childhood obesity, and due to the escalating epidemic of childhood obesity that is known to be associated with serious health complications, interventions that target food neophobia in preschool aged children may be successful in improving healthy eating habits and potentially reversing the …

Parent Nutrition Education And The Influence On Family Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Kelsey Rich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah State University in the collaboration with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) proposes to develop and implement a program to help families develop healthy eating habits and lifestyle behaviors. Recently, childhood overweight and obesity has reached epidemic proportions. The diseases associated with adult obesity are now being seen in the pediatric population; therefore, there is a call for preventative efforts. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in combination with an active lifestyle discourages the presence of obesity. Currently, most childhood obesity prevention efforts have taken place in the school setting and have only had short term …

Integration Of Nutrition Education Classes Into English As Second Language Classes For Refugees, Sarah Gunnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Each year approximately 73,000 refugees are resettled into the United States because it is unsafe for them to return to their country of origin. Resettlement agencies help refugees learn about their new environment and provide assistance with housing, food, English classes, and job skills training. The goal of resettlement programs is to help refugees become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.

Recently resettled refugees face many challenges that make it difficult to eat healthy food. Transportation, English skills, and conflicting work hours are some of the barriers to receiving nutrition education. This research evaluated the integration of nutrition lessons into English …

Grapefruit, Marie Stosich, Emily Morales, Heidi Leblanc

All Current Publications

This publication guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing grapefruit.

Cantaloupe, Susan Haws

All Current Publications

This publication is a guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing cantaloupe melons.

Winter Squash, Susan Haws

All Current Publications

This publication is a guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing winter squash.