Nutrition Commons^™

Identification Of High-Risk Food Coping Strategies Of Maine Food Pantry Clients, Kathryn Cutting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food coping strategies are strategies adopted by individuals in order to obtain enough food for themselves and their family. Food coping strategies can range from using coupons (couponing) and buying in bulk to skipping meals and stealing food. Although not all strategies are considered to be high risk, all strategies should be accounted for so that nutrition education programming caters to strategies that individuals are employing. This topic has not been widely researched in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify common food coping strategies of food pantry clients across nine counties in Maine, explore identified …

The Effects Of Branched Chained Amino Acid Supplementation On Acute Markers Of Fatigue And Performance, Joseph Walters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to investigate the acute effects of branched-chain amino acids on psychological, physiological, and subsequent performance changes following high volume resistance training. The rationale for this study design was based on abrupt or contiguous training/ competitions that specific athletes encounter in a competitive season. This study design also sought to fill some gaps in the scientific literature concerning the efficacy of BCAAs for subjective fatigue in a resistance training paradigm. To address the purposes of this dissertation, a one-week study was conducted on resistance trained males, in which half of the subjects were randomly selected …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program On Diet Quality As Measured By The Healthy Eating Index 2005, Sarah A. Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background:The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded program through the United States Department of Agriculture that offers nutrition education to low income families across the U.S.

Purpose:This study assessed the effectiveness of Maine EFNEP on food-related behavior change and diet quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI). This study also explored the relationship between the results on the HEI and participation in food assistance programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as the number of hours spent in the program.

Methodology:This study was a …

Diet, Prebiotics And Probiotics: Effects On Gut Microbiota In Obesity And Metabolic Disorders, Thamer Aljutaily

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Targeting gut microbiota with diet, prebiotics, and probiotics are emerging as a promising intervention in the comprehensive nutritional approach to reducing obesity and metabolic disorders. Recent human and animal studies suggest that such intervention can promote health benefits by influencing the aspects of metabolism and immunity. However, study of the multi-role association between the diet, the host and the microbiota remains to be clarified. My dissertation attempts to clarify the problem of how gut microbiota (taxonomic composition and predicted functional capacities) affects obesity and metabolic disorders.
In chapter 2, I conducted a placebo-controlled intervention clinical trial to evaluate effects of …

Wellness Policy Awareness Among School Leaders And The Impact On Written Policy Scores, Mariah Reil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: All schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must possess a written School Wellness Policy (SWP) as mandated by the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010.1 School officials and leaders play a major role in SWP implementation. It is essential to written SWP implementation that school level officials and leaders in the district are aware of the SWP. However, the association between school leader awareness of SWP and policy quality has not yet been studied.
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if school leader awareness of a SWP impacts the written SWP quality. …

A Bioinfomatic Analysis Of Luminal And Mucosal Ileal Bacteria Colonizing Nursery Pigs Fed Different Protein Sources, Jamie L. Ortman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weaning is a critical time in a young pig’s life that will greatly impact its adult growth and development. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of various protein sources on the bacterial composition within luminal and mucosal populations in simple and complex diets to gain a better understanding of factors influencing gut health. Weaned pigs were fed 1 of 3 simple experimental diets: 1) basic diet containing corn and soybean meal (Negative Control - NEG), 2) basic diet + fishmeal (FM; Positive Control - POS), and 3) basic diet + microbially-enhanced soybean meal (MSBM). Phase I …

Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Effects Of Glycemic Status On Body Composition, Bone, And Lipid Profile In Men Aged 20 To 66 Years: A Population-Based Study, Khaleal Almusaylim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are significant public health challenges in the United States. Pre-diabetes and T2D are a multi-factorial disease characterized by genetic or environmental factors or a combination of both. There has been an upward trend over time in the prevalence of both pre-diabetes and T2D. Few epidemiological studies exist regarding the effect of baseline glycemic status on changes in body composition, bone health, and lipid profiles. To fill this critical gap, the purpose of this research was to examine both cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in glycemic status with changes in body composition, bone mass and density, …

Using Maximum Power As A Variable For 1rm Prediction In The Squat And Bench Press, Sean O'Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many Strength and Conditioning (S&C) coaches utilize a one-rep max (1RM) exercise test to gauge the maximal strength of athletes, and then prescribe resistance training programs based on a relative percentage of 1RM to obtain strength or power adaptations. However, many S&C coaches have raised questions regarding the safety and necessity of a 1RM test. Attempts to mitigate the weaknesses of 1RM testing have led to other methods of testing including repetition max testing (3RM, 5RM, 10RM, etc.) as well as load/velocity profiling. The main purpose of this study is to determine if 1RM can be accurately estimated from maximal …

Relationship Of Weight-Related Eating Behaviors And Weight-Loss Of Participants In A Proprietary Weight-Loss Program, Megan Tschakert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to evaluate weight-related eating behaviors of participants with clinically significant weight loss (CSWL) in a proprietary weight loss program. A crosssectional sample of participants (n=1,454) enrolled in a proprietary weight-loss program that includes meal replacements and health coaching were queried for weight-related eating behaviors (using Weight Related Eating Questionnaire) of routine restraint (RR), compensatory restraint (CR), susceptibility to external cues (SEC), and emotional eating (EE) in relation to CSWL (defined as having achieved a weight loss greater than 10% of starting weight). Participants were dichotomized into those with CSWL (n=973) and with no CSWL …

Growth Performance, Metabolic And Rumen Profile, Nutrient Utilization, And Health Of Calves Fed Condensed Whey Solubles With Starter Pellets, Michaela Joy Della

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted for this thesis to evaluate the effectiveness of a new product’s ability to improve calf health and growth performance. In addition to the results from the study, this thesis also includes a literature review of immune and rumen maturation in calves and a discussion of ways to protect and encourage those fundamental progressions. For the main research project 48 dairy calves were used in a randomized complete block design study to evaluate the growth performance, rumen fermentation and metabolic profiles, nutrient utilization, and health scores when calves were supplemented Condensed Whey Solubles (CWS) with their starter …

The Role Of A Community Coach In Rural Food Councils In Six Midwestern States, Kaitlyn Tusha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To quantitatively assess perceived coaching confidence of a community coach working with food councils, and to qualitatively determine perceived barriers and facilitators associated with coaching rural food councils.
Design: Two phases were implemented using a mixed methods study design with quantitative (scorecard) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methodologies.
Setting: Six rural, Midwestern states implementing Voices for Food.
Participants: Voices for Food community coaches (n=9) who coached rural food council(s).
Intervention: A component of the broader Voices for Food intervention.
Analysis: Quantitative scorecard data were analyzed with STATA by running paired ttests. Qualitative key information interview data were analyzed with …

Eat Smart, Play Hard The Oyate Way: Impact Of A Culturally Tailored Nutrition And Physical Activity Curriculum On Elementary Youth, Abbey Hillestad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To assess changes in nutrition and physical activity (PA) knowledge and behavior in elementary-age participants from school districts with high American Indian enrollment after completion of a culturally tailored education curriculum.
Design: Pre-post intervention study assessing knowledge and behavior using quantitative methods. Participants: A total of 248 participants (Kindergarten through 5th grade, n=248) throughout 13 elementary classrooms in tribal communities participated in Eat Smart. Play Hard.: The Oyate Way. Intervention(s): Baseline and post intervention data from a culturally tailored nutrition and PA knowledge and behavior curriculum.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Dependent variables were nutrition and PA knowledge, and nutrition and …

Perceptions Of Health Coaching And Its Associations With Personality Style And Weight Loss In Meal Replacement Program Participants, Bailey Judith Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine if personality style is related to perceptions of health coaching and if there is a relationship between perceptions of health coaching and the ability to lose weight. Methods: Data was gathered from approximately 2,000 MR program participants via an electronic survey. The Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing scale was used to determine if perceptions of health coaching affect the ability to lose weight. The Ten Item Personality Inventory was used to determine if personality style is associated with the perception of health coaching. Self-reported start weight and current weight were used to calculate percent of starting weight. …

Effects Of Oats And Distiller’S Dried Grains Fibers On Fortification Of Asian Noodles – Evaluation Of Glycemic Response, Noodle Quality And Nutritional Composition, Kara Konst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to develop Asian wheat noodle formulations enriched with oat flour and corn DDG at 10, 20 and 30 % wheat flour replacement levels and to evaluate the effects of this fiber and protein enrichment on the glycemic response of human subjects. We hypothesized that the addition of high-fiber oats and high-fiber, high-protein DDG will have synergistic effects in lowering the glycemic response in human subjects. In this study, steamed instant Asian noodles were prepared with DDG(D) and oats(OF) in combination with all-purpose wheat flour(W) in the following flour blends: (W:D) 90:10, (W:OF) 90:10, (W:D) …

Impact Of Concussion And Orthopedic Injuries On Physical Activity And Quality Of Life After Sport Retirement, Makenna Hancock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CONTEXT: Concussions and orthopedic injuries represent a significant risk related to participation in collegiate athletics. These injuries can create significant long-term impairments and functional limitations which may also decrease former athletes’ quality of life (QoL) and inhibit their ability to engage in physical activity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate QoL and physical activity levels of former collegiate athletes with a history of concussion and orthopedic injury, orthopedic injury only, and healthy controls. DESIGN: Descriptive, experimental study.
SETTING: Daily life as former National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate athlete.
PARTICIPANTS: Former Division I collegiate athletes competing in football, women’s soccer, baseball, softball, …

The Efficacy Of Protein Supplementation On Attenuating Muscle Atrophy Following Disuse In The Collegiate Population, Leah Kroeger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a protein supplementation protocol through a period of muscular disuse in maintaining muscle mass, strength, jump force production, and cross-sectional area in the collegiate population. Two groups of healthy collegiate participants underwent two weeks of unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS), during which the control group consumed a normal diet and the treatment group received an additional 75 g of protein supplementation. Lean mass, strength, and force production were measured between dietary intakes at baseline and following immobilization. Muscle area was lost between both groups following ULLS (treatment, - 282.8 …

Mean Nutrition And Physical Activity Knowledge Score Of Children Ages 3-5 Years In The Igrow Readers Intervention, Mollie Loes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood obesity remains high within the United States, which can lead to long-term harmful effects. During the first five years of children’s lives, healthy eating habits and physical activity patterns are formed, so the preschool years are a critical time to begin obesity prevention (4). Because the preschool years are crucial for providing healthy eating habits and physical activity patterns, there is the need for childhood obesity interventions. iGrow Readers is a cluster-randomized control study concentrated on children 3-5 years of age recruited from childcare centers from South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Fourteen child care centers with …

Model School Wellness Policies: Opportunities For Improvement, Maty Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools that participate in the US Child Nutrition program are required to have a wellness policy. Many state agencies provide model wellness policies to aid schools in writing wellness policies. However, use of model wellness policies has not been associated with higher quality policies. PURPOSE: Assess the strength and comprehensiveness of model wellness policies and to determine if federal regulations are more likely to be included in model wellness policies than evidence-based, best-practices that are not required per federal regulation. METHODS: Model wellness policies available online through state agency websites in January 2019 were analyzed for comprehensiveness and strength using …

Effects Of Resistant Starch Type 4 On Gut Microbiota Derived Medium And Long Chain Fatty Acids And Bile Acids, Elizabeth Nagel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human gastrointestinal tract is populated by a diverse and mutualistic microbial flora that has profound effect on human health. Identification and characterization of microbial-metabolites produced in response to human dietary intakes may provide insights into host-microbiota interactions to better understand the role of the microbiota in human health and diseases. However, much of this interaction is poorly understood as many metabolites remain unidentified or understudied at the present time. Starch is ubiquitously present in human diet and is a major energy source to all living cells. Resistant starch (RS) is the starch portion that is not absorbed in the …

Differences In Running Mechanics And Tibial Plateau Dimensions Between Overweight/Obese And Healthy Weight Children, Claire Sylvestre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obese (OW/OB) children display increased knee joint loading during running, which may lead to excessive frontal plane motion and moments at the knee joints. The relationship between tibial plateau dimensions and knee vertical loading may explain the loading related injuries OW/OB children experience.
PURPOSE: Compare knee mechanics during running and tibial plateau dimensions between healthy weight (HW) and OW/OB children.
METHODS: Ten HW children and ten OW/OB children aged 9-12 participated in the study. Kinematic and kinetic data were captured as participants ran across a force platform at 3.5m/s. Tibial plateau area and density were collected by …

Level Of Satisfaction Among Food Pantry Clients, Staff/Volunteers, And Directors And Its Association With Client Choice In Food Pantry Layouts, Myranda Dunmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Food insecurity is an issue in rural communities, particularly among food pantry clients. Food pantries may not provide clients with the opportunity to choose their own foods (client choice), and instead may just give a set amount and type of foods. Client choice is important in regards to client health status as well as perceptions of autonomy and quality of life. Although client choice can be promoted in food pantries, it may be difficult to grasp the process of food pantry transitioning and how well changes such as these may be perceived by clients or food pantry personnel. We …

Physical Activity Environments In Rural Communities: Exploring The Relationship Between Community Perceptions And The Environment, Elizabeth M. Bye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess the physical activity environment, community perceptions of the physical activity environment, and the relationship between these variables in rural and/or underserved communities with high obesity prevalence.
Methods: The Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) was used to assess the programs and policies (PPA), town-wide amenities (TWA), and street segments (SSA) of the physical activity environment and the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS) was used to assess community perception of the physical activity environment within eleven rural and/or underserved communities. Each section of the RALA and RALPESS are further broken down into additional subsections in order …

Effects Of Weight Loss On Gut Microbiota, Samitinjaya Dhakal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Incidence of obesity continues to rise for several decades now. Despite the availability of the multiple weight loss programs, losing or maintaining weight remains a universal challenge. A comprehensive lifestyle modification is usually the cornerstone for achieving weight loss. A wealth of new information on gut microbial responses to diet to impact human health has introduced a new frontier in nutrition science that may help better understand inter-individual response variations to weight-loss interventions. This observational study examined the microbiota changes after weight-loss in relation to age, sex, and body-composition features in adults. A 10% reduction in body weight resulted in …

The Impact Of A Fruit And Vegetable Intervention On School Cafeteria Fruit And Vegetable Selection And Consumption In A Rural, Appalachian Mississippi Elementary School, Michelle Weber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fruit and vegetable intake for children in the United States is low, which puts them at risk for poor health in the future. The National School Lunch Program meal pattern and nutrition standards for participating schools include increased fruits and vegetables, compared to previous standards. Using a pretest-posttest design, this study examined the effect of a fruit and vegetable intervention on fruit and vegetable food selection and consumption in a rural, Appalachian Mississippi elementary school. A six-week intervention (nutrition education, cafeteria tastings, fruit and vegetables for home usage/backpack program) was implemented. The unannounced fruit and vegetable selection and waste measurements …

Child Nutrition Program Managers’ Evaluation Of The Mississippi Recipes For Success (Mrs) Guide, Alexandra Hallmark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Findings from this study can assist MDE-OCN in future updates of the MRS Guide. MRS is an excellent resource for CNP professionals and can be used by other state child nutrition programs as a guide when developing or updating their own menu planning tools and training resources. The Mississippi Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition (MDE OCN) has been assisting child nutrition programs with meeting the nutritional needs of the students since 2000. The Mississippi Recipes for Success (MRS) guide is the latest recipe database developed and updated by MDE-OCN. This guide contains a database that is comprised of …

Evaluation Of Best Practices In Child Nutrition At Child Care Centers In Mississippi, Whitney Clara Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Results: Survey responses indicated that the majority of directors rated themselves as skilled at several key areas of best practices, especially in creating a clean, pleasant place for the children to eat and in using program nutrition requirements to ensure that food and nutrition needs of the children are met. Analysis of the center menus proved the latter to be true as the recommendations for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron were either met or exceeded for females 4-8 years-old, and males 4-8 years-old. A need for more training was also indicated, especially in writing food and nutrition procedures …

The Effect Of Magnesium Supplementation On Physical Performance Of Collegiate Football Players, Shannon Marie Boguth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mg supplementation can maximize energy stores for exercise, decrease indicators of inflammation, and increase the rate of lactate clearance. While these functions of Mg can benefit exercise capabilities, research is lacking on their effects on specific performance parameters. The purpose of this study was to determine if Mg supplementation would increase performance parameters in NCAA Division-I football players. Eighty-one participants were separated into position groups and randomly assigned to receive a daily placebo, low dose of Mg (100 mg), or high dose of Mg (200 mg). Participants completed a pre- and post-test for performance parameters that included 1RM clean, 1RM …

Food Insecurity And Health Of International Students, Jamie Nichole Benefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International college students may be at risk for suffering from food insecurity and poor health. The purposes of this study were to: 1) determine if the household adult food security status (HAFSS) differs between undergraduate and graduate international students (INSTUD) attending the University of Mississippi (UM); 2) establish if a statistically significant relationship exists between health (physical functioning (PF) , role limitations due to physical health (RLPH), role limitations due to emotional problems (RLEP), energy/fatigue (EF), emotional well-being (EWB), social functioning (SF), pain (P), and general health (GH) and HAFSS; 3) assess if health differs between INSTUD living in food …

Healthy Eating Opportunities And Choices For University Faculty, Selby Rebecca Entrekin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College food environments can be obesogenic settings due to the availability of fast food restaurants and buffet style cafeteria’s accessible to the university community. These environments often foster eating behaviors that can contribute to rising obesity rates in the United States. The aim of this study was to identify university faculty’s perceptions of the campus food environment and access to healthy foods. Investigated were barriers to making healthy food choices on campus and strategies ion how to provide and encourage better food choices. Questions were developed to identify barriers, perceptions, and solutions to improve the healthy eating environment on campus. …

Food Insecurity And Produce Behaviors Of Adults With Children In Rural, Appalachian Mississippi, Tiffany Shirley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adults living in food insecure households consume fewer fruits and vegetables than adults living in food secure households (Hanson & Connor, 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine differences in fruit and vegetable behaviors (intakes; perceptions) of parents of elementary school children by food security status (food secure compared to food insecure; fully food secure compared to not fully food secure) in rural, Appalachian Mississippi. A cross-sectional survey of parents (n=1144) recruited from three elementary schools in rural, Appalachian Mississippi utilized validated measures of produce behaviors: 1) fruit, vegetable, and total produce intakes; 2) perceived benefits of barriers …