Nutrition Commons^™

“Anything From The Land Is Good”: Understanding How Community Gardening In Kakisa, Northwest Territories, Can Contribute To Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Michelle Malandra

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rates of food insecurity in Canada’s northern Indigenous communities are at levels that should constitute an emergency. Dominant explanations for these high rates of food insecurity often ignore the ongoing impacts of colonization and over-emphasize individual choices and nutritional guidelines developed by outsiders. The importance of holistic community health is ignored, along with the cultural and social values and practices that support community health and well-being, including traditional food systems. As the acute impact of climate change in the North threatens traditional food access, a shift toward an Indigenous food sovereignty approach in health and food policy is needed. With …

An Exploration Of System Level Dimensions Of Nutrition In Relation To Health: Interprofessional Teams And Food Insecurity, Mckenna Christy Voorhees

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many factors influence health; two such factors that warrant additional research include interdisciplinary healthcare teams and food insecurity. These factors may be particularly important among vulnerable populations such as individuals with special healthcare needs, lower income populations, and individuals with disabilities.

Interdisciplinary teamwork promotes improved, and more efficient patient care through the collaboration of healthcare providers in various professional disciplines. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are experts in the science and application of nutrition, which plays an important role in various disease states. Despite the established need for RDNs on interdisciplinary teams, there is limited research in the interdisciplinary scholarship targeting …

Eat Well, Be Well: Basic Needs Initiative's Online Hub For Nutrition Education, Misha Moseley

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Basic Needs Initiative at California State University, Monterey Bay is a department that provides students with food, housing, and wellness resources. Over half of the university's students experience food insecurity, and over 85% use non-academic resources to learn about nutrition. This project adds a dietary health section to the department’s website to increase students’ access to nutrition education. It addresses the micro-level agency problem that too few students eat a healthy, balanced diet. Unhealthy eating is a risk factor for food insecurity, so the project indirectly addresses the macro-level health problem that too many college students in California experience food …

Assessing Satisfaction With Bi-Weekly Produce Deliveries As A Means To Reduce Food Insecurity On College Campuses, Sophie Crosby

Senior Theses

Background: As food insecurity disproportionately affects college students and students are often unable to receive government nutritional assistance, more lasting, sustainable interventions are needed to decrease food insecurity on college campuses. The purpose of this study was to measure the satisfaction of the FoodShare program, a low-cost, biweekly fresh produce delivery, at the University of South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to pilot FoodShare’s program with adaptations to the University of South Carolina and examine participants’ experience with the program. Methods: Forty-three students, faculty, and staff purchased boxes over a three-month period. FoodShare boxes were purchased and delivered …

An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Climate Change On Food Security In The Albertine Rift Of East Africa, Malcolm Jacob

International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

As one of the most densely populated regions on the continent of Africa, the Albertine Rift (consisting of parts of Rwanda, Uganda, and the eastern DRC) faces ongoing problems providing enough food for its people through crop production, livestock husbandry, and other forms of food production. Even more troubling for the future is that anthropogenic climate change is expected to significantly exacerbate food insecurity. This paper addresses one central question: how will climate change impact food security in the Albertine Rift? Based on an analysis of available data, this paper finds that policymakers should listen closely to local farmers and …

Food Security Status And Disordered Eating Of Male High School Football Players In Rural, Appalachian Mississippi Participating In A Food Education Program, Miller Carlton

Honors Theses

Food insecurity is associated with disordered eating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male athletes. This study evaluated the impact of a food education program on youth food security and disordered eating of high school football players in rural, Appalachian Mississippi. A Pre-Post design was utilized. Prospective participants (n=47) were recruited in July, 2019. The 12-week season-long food education program included weekly education with practical food-based sport nutrition principles along with food packages to implement principles at home. Youth food security was measured using Self-administered Youth Food Security Module (Connell, 2004). Disordered eating was measured using 5-item scale (Morgan, Reid, …

Food Accessibility Related To Double Your Dollar Program, Julia Carlson

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Double Your Dollar (DYD) Program is a program that gives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) participants match dollars to spend at local farmers markets. Users are able to spend these dollars on fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, dairy, jam/jelly, honey and food producing plants. DYD’s goal is to incentivize healthy eating among individuals of low income, promote local purchases, and increase spending at farmers markets. Food insecurity effects over 60,000 individuals in Washington and Benton county. With food accessibility being an area of concern in Northwest Arkansas, programs like SNAP and SFMNP …

Understanding The Effects Of Food Security And Snap Participation On The Fruit And Vegetable Intake Of Older Adults, Alexandra Sarkisian

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis focuses on understanding what impact the barrier of food security has on the fruit and vegetable intake of older adults. Food insecurity - lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle - is an issue that affects 1 in 9 Americans, and can have an impact on one’s diet and potentially overall health. Using secondary data collected through the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this study assessed the intake of fruits, vegetables, as well as the variety of produce consumed. This was then analyzed in order determine how the intake of these foods …

Desert Within A City: Exploring The Relationship Between Food Security, Diet, And Body Mass Index, Jamey Ann Baietto

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Food deserts are areas of decreased access to nutritious and affordable foods. Residing within a defined food desert is thought to decrease consumption of produce, dairy, and whole grains and increase consumption of energy-dense foods as well as body mass index (BMI).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the level of food security on consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, high-sugar foods, high-fat foods, and BMI.

Design: A one-time, self-administered data collection packet was sent to residents of a food desert. The Dietary Screener Questionnaire was utilized to determine the average daily …

Conceptualizing And Measuring Food Security Among Resettled Refugees Living In The United States, Hannah Stokes

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Food security research with resettled refugees in the United States and other Global North countries has found alarmingly high rates of food insecurity, up to 85% of surveyed households. This is well above the current US average of 12.7%. However, the most common survey tool used to measure food security status in the US, the US Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM), has not been sufficiently validated for resettled refugee populations, leading to the risk that the HFSSM may actually be underestimating the prevalence of food insecurity among resettled refugees in the US. Though research has attempted to establish validity …

A "Default Option" While Online Grocery Shopping To Enhance Nutrition Within A Food Insecure Population, Jaime Ashley Coffino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There is a need for sustainable interventions that improve diet-related health within the food insecure community. We examined if use of a “default” prefilled online grocery shopping cart, compared to nutrition education, would result in the purchase of healthier food items. Fifty participants (M age = 46.4 ± 12.46 years; M body mass index = 28.59 ± 6.48 kg/m2; 74.0% male) were randomized to: (1) read a brochure containing nutrition information (n = 23) or (2) be presented with a “default” prefilled online shopping cart containing groceries that meet nutritional guidelines to which they could freely make changes before completing …

Determinants Of Food Insecurity Among Vulnerable White And Latino Households: Contextualizing The Impact Of Sociodemographic And Household-Level Factors, Alexandra Lund

Master's Theses

Household-level characteristics have been shown to be associated with food insecurity but studies among vulnerable populations are sparse. A food security assessment was developed to determine food security and collect sociodemographic and household level data across San Luis Obispo County. The assessments were administered to vulnerable groups through interviews at multiple sites across the County. Three household characteristics (marital status, number of children in the household and number of workers in the household) were examined in this analysis. A total of 808 surveys were collected, 69% in English and 31% in Spanish. Through ethnicity-stratified sequentially adjusted logistic regression models, the …

Change In Eating Competence In College Students Enrolled In Basic Nutrition Courses, Katrina J. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Determine change in eating competence (EC) and factors related to EC in students enrolled in basic nutrition courses at a major private university. Design: Eating competence was measured by administering the ecSatter Inventory (ecSI) both before and after class intervention. Additional data on eating disorder prevalence, food security, and general demographics were also collected in the same structured survey. Significance identified with p value <0.01. Setting/Participants: This survey was administered to 566 students enrolled in basic nutrition courses at a major private university in the western United States. Analysis: ANOVA was used to determine relationships between ecSI end scores and participant characteristics. ANCOVA was used to determine relationships between change in ecSI scores over time and participant characteristics. Results: Enrollment in NDFS 100 is associated with an overall increase in eating competence (EC). However, students with current eating disorders had a significant decrease in EC during enrollment. Current or past eating disorders and low or very low Food Security Status were associated with lack of EC. Females and younger participants were not eating competent at the course end. Enrollment in NDFS 201 was not associated with significant change in EC. Conclusions: Basic nutrition instruction improves EC among students without eating disorders. Low food security status and presence of an eating disorder may be a barrier to improving EC.

Development Of An East Tennessee Tri-County Community Food Assessment Instrument To Aid In The Construction And Implementation Of A Working Food Model., Alison Suzanne Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the needs and relationships of high-risk community members in Cocke County Tennessee to food sources. Cocke County was chosen as the representative county in this pilot study due its high percentage of residents living at or below the poverty level, which can lead to hunger and food insecurities. A community food assessment was conducted among residents participating in a commodities disbursement program in Cocke County. Two hundred seven individuals participated in this survey. The results of the surveys were posted and analyzed using an online statistical analysis software program. With the needs …