Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Using A Meal Tracking Smartphone Application In Overweight And Obese Adolescents With Prediabetes Or Type 2 Diabetes To Improve Bmi And Hba1c, Lauren Torhorst

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Obesity has become one of the most common chronic pediatric illnesses worldwide and is closely linked to the onset of prediabetes and subsequent Type 2 Diabetes (T2D); therefore, preventing and treating childhood obesity has become a high priority (Hampl et al., 2023). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project is to lower Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in overweight and obese youth with prediabetes and T2D using a meal tracking smartphone application. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model (JHNEBP) was utilized to pilot this project between two pediatric endocrinology offices located in Southeast Wisconsin. …

Impact Of Child/Parent Characteristics On Ultra-Processed Food Intake In Preschool-Aged Children, A Latent Class Analysis Of Obesity-Related Factors And Obesity Risk, And The Qualitative Impact Of 9-11 Year Old's Perception Of Unhealthy Food Marketing, Jennifer E. Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood overweight/obesity is an epidemic in the US. Modifiable risk factors, such as intake of foods that are highly processed, are heavily marketed to children. Exposure to food advertisements, along with home environment factors, family meal styles, and digital media habits shapes children’s preferences, tastes, and habits. Predictors of ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in children are unclear and the potential effect of ad exposure on UPF intake is unknown. It is also unknown if there are distinct response patterns among a collection of potentially obesity-related factors, and if distinct groups affect child BMI. Additionally, more qualitative research is needed to …

The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating And Body Mass Index And Diet Quality In College Students, Ashley A. Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective

The objective of this research was to explore the influence of intuitive eating (IE) on body mass index (BMI) and diet quality (DQ) among college students.

Methods

A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online survey consisting of the short-Healthy Eating Index (SHEI) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (23 items). Body mass index was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to assess group characteristics. A linear regression was used to test if IE scores significantly predicted BMI. An independent t-test was used to compare BMIs of students with IE scores above and below …

Self-Efficacy Facilitated Sleep, Physical Activity, Towards Regulating Bmi Of Permanent 12-Hour Shift Registered Nurses, Veronica Brock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shift workers with obesity-related comorbidities have reduced health and lifespan. Registered nurses (RNs) are ranked fifth among the most obese professionals in the United States, according to recent studies. Researchers have not examined the relationship between self-efficacy, physical activity, sleep, and 12-hour night shift RNs despite demonstrating that self-efficacy inspires confident health habits in the general population. For this quantitative study, the social cognitive theory was applied to study the interrelationships among the independent variables, sleep self-efficacy, self-efficacy for physical activity, and body mass index (BMI), with multiple dependent demographic variables, quality and quantity of sleep, and the level and …

Associations Between Socioecological Factors And Breastfeeding Duration Among Obese Mothers In Mississippi, Maria Mercedes Miranda Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing obesity pandemic in the United States. Low breastfeeding duration rates and socioecological factors lead to obesity in the most southern states. Overweight and obese breastfeeding mothers have not been primarily studied. There is mixed information regarding duration of breastfeeding, BMI, and heart health, as well as a lack of quantitative analyses involving reducing obesity rates in mother-child dyads. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate whether there were any associations between breastfeeding duration and BMI, heart health problems, breastfeeding support, and eating and exercise among Mississippi overweight and obese postpartum women based on …

Diabetes Self-Management Education And Support: Understanding Knowledge And The Impact, Christina Dietz

All Dissertations

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. To address this, many organizations employ diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programs to aid in managing the impact of increasing prevalence. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the impact of two Upstate South Carolina DSMES programs on several process and outcome measures for adults with diabetes, while also identifying current primary care provider DSMES knowledge and perceptions in an Upstate South Carolina health system.

This dissertation found inconclusive results on the impact of DSMES on PCP utilization, retinal exam screening, nephropathy attention, HDL, LDL, TC, and TG. DSME …

Diet, Exercise, Self-Monitoring, Technology, And Motivational Interviewing For Weight Loss In Adults, Ashleigh D. Warburton

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Obesity, an epidemic in the United States (US), affected 42.4% of adults as of 2017-2018 (Hales, 2020). Comorbidities associated with obesity, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes (Orringer et al., 2020), are some of the leading causes of death in the US (Kochanek et al., 2020). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to answer the following PICOT question: In adult patients aged 19 years or older who are considered overweight or obese as measured by body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m2 (P), how effective is diet and exercise combined with self-monitoring, a phone application, …

Comparison Of Short Chain Volatile Fatty Acids In The Breastmilk Of Normal And Overweight/Obese Mothers, Ellen Gaskill, W Andrew Clark, Kristy L. Thomas, Amy Wahlquist, Michelle E. Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

INTRODUCTION: Health professionals emphasize the importance of breastfeeding in the development of children up to 6-months of age. It is known that short chain volatile fatty acids (SCVFAs) are a byproduct of nutrient fermentation by gut microbiome. These SCVFAs interact with the gut/brain axis and are known to influence infant development. Therefore, a reflection of maternal gut microbiome could likely be found in breastmilk (BM) due to diffusion of SCVFAs across the gut wall into the blood. Previous research in our laboratory has shown differences in the SCVFA fecal fermentation profile between individuals with normal (N) versus overweight/obese (OWOB) body …

Better Together? The Effects Of Shared Medical Appointments On Bmi In Obese Adults, Amanda Larson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The United States (U.S.) is amidst an obesity epidemic, with Indiana ranking as the 15th worst state (Institute of Medicine, 2012; United Health Foundations, 2020). Despite current management strategies, the obesity rate in both the U.S. and Indiana continues to rise (WHO, 2020). Therefore, obesity management must change. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the addition of shared medical appointments (SMAs) consisting of informational group sessions by specialists and brief individualized meetings with the provider will result in greater reduction of weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to standard care alone in those …

Does Better A1c Control Worsen Osteoarthritis? An Electronic Health Record Cross-Sectional Study, Sarah C. Cattaneo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). There is evidence that diabetes also increases risk. Our hypothesis is that A1C is a predictor of OA severity. The aim is to investigate the association between A1C, BMI, and knee and hip OA severity. This is a cross-sectional study within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database containing 818 patients with diagnosed diabetes. Patients at one VHA facility with recorded diabetes in fiscal year 2020 were identified. A1C and BMI data was obtained from the electronic health record. Chart reviews were performed to collect data on imaging reports of weight-bearing joints …

Baseline Health Assessment Of A Rural Delta Community, Sydney Mitchell

Honors Theses

The Lower Mississippi Delta is characterized by poverty, chronic health issues, health disparities, and food insecurity. The rural Delta communities are primarily African American, experiencing disproportionately higher rates of poverty, job loss, and chronic health problems. Historically, chronic health issues have persisted in these areas over time, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, which have only seemed to increase in this region. The food environment in this rural region tends to assist in the creation of the largely obesogenic population which, in turn, contributes to the increased prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and a lower quality of life. Many residents in …

Effectiveness Of A Multi-Component Intervention Program For Treating Childhood Obesity, Suzy Free

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Childhood obesity is one of the most chronic childhood illness worldwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019; World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). The prevalence of childhood obesity has been described as one of the most common chronic childhood conditions (CDC). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to reduce the BMI scores of obese children using a multi-component intervention program that incorporates healthy eating, physical activity, and family involvement. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model was used to facilitate the implementation of this EBP project. The synthesis of the appraised literature established that utilizing …

The Effects Of A Nutritional Intervention On Healthy Eating Habits And Body Mass Index, Kelley Eshenaur

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

In the US, overweight and obesity are growing concerns, as both can have life altering consequences if not prevented or treated. Since 2000, there has been nearly a 10% increase of adults who are obese, from 30.5% (85.8 million) to 39.8% (93.9 million) in 2016 (CDC, 2017). These conditions are preventable with early intervention and motivation. Obesity statistics are especially of interest during the transition to young adulthood. The purpose of this project was to improve student outcomes by identifying barriers, effective strategies, and healthy choices that would ultimately impact weight, increasing healthy food choices, and decreasing overall BMI in …

A Multicomponent Tailored Intervention Program Protocol For Weight Loss In An Underserved Adult Patient Population With Obesity, Rita R. Arnold

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Obesity is a multifactorial, individualized, chronic disease that increases known risk factors for significant comorbidities and mortality. The primary purpose of this Evidence-Based practice project was to improve indicators of obesity (weight, BMI) among patients served by a free medical clinic, using a tailored multicomponent intervention. The secondary purpose was to determine if the weight loss intervention was associated with a decrease in blood pressure and depression symptoms. The intervention was guided by the Health Promotion Model by Nola Pender. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice Model (JHNEBP) guided implementation of the project. A comprehensive literature review was completed …

Sexual Orientation, Body Mass Index, And Methamphetamine Use Among Chicago Youth, Nileshkumar Panchal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug use and obesity are two of the most challenging health-related issues that young people face. Obesity, substance abuse, and drug addiction lead to brain dysfunction, which can decrease the quality of life and academic performance as well as increase the vulnerability of developing chronic diseases. To date, there has been little research to determine whether sexual orientation influences the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and methamphetamine use. Focusing on youth, the relationship between BMI, methamphetamine use, and sexual orientation were examined in this study through secondary data analysis of the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System in Chicago. Guided …

Implementing Screening To Assess Readiness To Change In Overweight And Obese Patients At A Patient-Centered Medical Home, Jarrod Gant

Doctoral Projects

Obesity is at epidemic levels within the United States (U.S.), but the Southern U.S. has some of the most obese states. Mississippi (MS) is the most obese state in the country (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2018). Factors such as diet, sedentary lifestyle, cultural influences, and socioeconomic status contribute to the state’s citizens being overweight and obese.

Contributing to the state’s obesity is the fact that MS has more people living in poverty than any other state (Center for American Progress [CAP], 2018). Lacking the ability to afford healthy foods and the ability to afford quality healthcare adds to the state’s …

Essays In Applied Microeconomics, Lijuan Feng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 studies the effect of body weight on labor market outcomes. Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1989 to 2011, and both instrumental variable and fixed effects estimation to control for the endogeneity of body weight, I examine the wage effect of BMI by gender, type of residence area, and occupation. Results from linear OLS regression show a positive relationship between body weight and income for males in both rural and urban areas and females in rural areas, while a negative one for females in urban areas. After controlling for the unobserved individual …

Relationship Between Elevated Blood Pressure/Hypertension In Military Personnel And The Stress Of Combat Deployment, Stephen James Pinkerton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few studies about elevated blood pressure in the U.S. military exist in which researchers examined exposure to combat and its association with elevated blood pressure. The purpose of this quantitative research was to describe the extent of association between those who were exposed to combat deployment, were 40 or older, and were overweight or obese and had elevated blood pressure for U.S. military personnel who deployed to an area of declared combat between 2012 and 2017. The conceptual basis of this research was best represented by the determinants of health model. Chi-square correlation revealed that being older (equal to or …

Severe Maternal Morbidity In Florida: Risk Factors And Determinants Of The Increasing Rate, Lindsay Shively Womack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe maternal morbidity generally refers to the most severe complications of pregnancy and includes: hemorrhage, embolism, acute renal failure, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and other complications. These complications affect more than 50,000 women in the United States every year, with rates significantly increasing from 1998 to 2011. In an effort to reduce these increasing complication rates, clinicians and researchers have emphasized the need to identify potential modifiable risk factors for severe maternal morbidity, and the need to study the relationships between these risk factors and severe maternal morbidity. The overall goal of this study is to improve the understanding of …

Assessing Plant-Based Food Lifestyle To Reduce Obesity Risk, Erna Siregar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite an increasing number of healthy lifestyles throughout the country, Americans, including Native Hawaiians, keep gaining weight. Unlike several American lifestyles that have resulted in weight gain within the American population, the vegetarian lifestyle is a scientifically proven method for decreasing body weight and maintaining the weight loss for more than 1 year. This study aimed to compare the lifestyle patterns of 4 vegetarian lifestyles and 1 nonvegetarian lifestyle among Native Hawaiians aged 21 and older using their body mass index (BMI). This quantitative study utilized a correlational design, which is particularly suitable for examining the relationship of BMI to …

Distortion In Body Schema: The Influence Of Body Fat And Mass On Perceptions Of Personal Size, Katarina Ann Ferrucci

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Obesity has been linked with a myriad of negative outcomes for both physical and mental health including feeding and eating disorders and cognitive impairments that affect perception of body size. Understanding the cognitive mechanisms and physiological factors that contribute to perception of body size may help us to comprehend how obesity impacts the construction and development of one’s mental body representations. Previous research by Scarpina, Castelnuovo, and Molinari (2014) suggests that, compared to those with a normal Body Mass Index, individuals with a BMI greater than 30 (obese) not only inaccurately estimate tactile and mental distances on their own bodies, …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) And Adolescent Body Mass Index (Bmi): A National Population-Based Study, Laura Y. Defrain Lpn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND ADOLESCENT BODY MASS INDEX (BMI): A NATIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have remained around 17% since the 1990s - this figure translates to an estimated 12.7 million obese children. Maintaining a healthy weight through adolescence may limit subsequent health risks in adulthood. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a variety of non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle choices that have been utilized in addition to or in place of typical Western medicine. The relationship between adolescent Body mass index (BMI) and the use of complementary and alternative medicine has …

Effective Communication Of School Health Screening Information: A Pilot Study Evaluating The Effect Of Electronic Communication Of Bmi Screening Information In Elementary Schools, Kara Elizabeth Carter

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Obesity is a growing concern surrounding today’s youth. School-based health screenings are promoted as a public health strategy to identify obese children and those at high risk for becoming obese. Despite numerous programs, data is lacking in effective school to parent communication of health related information. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of electronic communication of health screening outcomes, including parents’ understanding of screening information, utilization of informational resources, and decision to seek physician follow-up. Screenings for body mass index, acanthosis nigricans and blood pressure were conducted during school hours among children in kindergarten and third …

Factors Affecting Body Mass Index Levels In African American Women Living In North Carolina, Padmini Shanti Kirpalani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of obesity has doubled over the past 25 years in the United States, particularly in North Carolina. Obesity is influenced by biological, social, and environmental factors; its prevalence has been found to be higher among African American women and other racial ethnic minorities. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine the relationship of the psycho-social, psycho-behavioral factors, and body mass index levels (BMI) in African American women living in North Carolina versus their Hispanic American and European American counterparts. A logistic regression model using secondary data from the Behavioral …

Environmental Factors Associated With Body Mass Index Among Long Haul Truck Drivers, Charlotte Hughes Huntley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2009–2010, the prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults was 40%, and the prevalence was 69% among long haul truck drivers. Researchers have not established a clear relationship between working environment and weight among truck drivers. This quantitative cross-sectional study, using an ecological framework, evaluated the relationship between the working environment (sleep performance, food choices, driving environment, and activity level) and weight severity (e.g., body mass index [BMI]) among long haul truck drivers. One hundred and twenty six adults (46 + 10, years of age), including both genders (male = 97 and females = 29) completed an online questionnaire evaluating …

Television Consumption And Child Obesity: Linking Children's Contemporary Television Use, Physical Activity, And Advertising To Putnam's Displacement Hypothesis, Brittany L. Altamirano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study observed the relationship between television consumption and child obesity through the theoretical construct of Putnam’s displacement hypothesis. It did so by updating the previous research through the investigation of the displacement of both physical activity and advertisements on contemporary television platforms. The inclusion of Putnam’s displacement hypothesis was to provide a foundational framework, not found in previous literature, to study two important paradigms that were represented in previous research: 1) the displacement of physical activity; and 2) the displacement of traditional advertisement exposure.

Several trends became apparent within previous literature. Previous literature did not include an explicitly stated …

The Impact Of Minimum Wage Rates On Obesity In The United States During The Great Recession, Benjamin C. Mallicoat

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Bmi And Weight Perception To Weight Controlling Behaviors In 9th-12th Graders In The United States, Natalie Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Research indicates that high school students constitute the largest portion of those participating in unhealthy weight control behaviors. There is, however, little research that indicates what this behavior is influenced from. This study investigated the relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) and (discordant or concordant) weight perception to weight control behaviors among 9th-12th graders in the United States. Using data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), over 40 states and 13,000 surveys completed. Multiple Chi-square tests were performed, examining the association between BMI and weight perception in relation to weight control behaviors. We then examined whether perception …

Associations Between Vitamin D Status, Adiposity, And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Young Women (18 – 30 Years), Adolphina Addo-Lartey

Doctoral Dissertations

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 270 (18- to 30-year old) female participants in the UMass Amherst Vitamin D Status Study (n = 270) to assess the extent to which dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D are associated with obesity markers. We also evaluated the association between serum 25-OHD concentrations and both adiposity and inflammatory biomarkers. Study participants were mostly Caucasians (84.5%) with normal BMI, although about half of women had high adiposity (total body fat ‘TBF’≥ 32%). Women reporting adequate intakes of calcium (≥ 1000 mg/day) but low intakes of vitamin D (< 600 IU/day) were more than twice as likely to have a high percentage of TBF compared to women with adequate intakes of both calcium and vitamin D. In addition, women with lower calcium intake from supplements were twice as likely to have a waist circumference ≥ 80 cm (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.04 – 3.99) compared to women in the highest tertile of calcium intake. The magnitude of this association is important since among young women 18-30 years old, a waist circumference greater than 80 cm indicates central obesity and suggests increased visceral adiposity, which contributes to hyperlipidemia and other obesity-related chronic conditions. Among all women, total vitamin D, food vitamin D, and supplemental vitamin D intake were not associated with serum 25-OHD concentration (P > 0.05). However, among supplement …

Assessing The Impact Of An Incentivized Employee Wellness Program On Participation And Weight, Jennifer T. Fink

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF AN INCENTIVIZED EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM ON PARTICIPATION AND WEIGHT

by

Jennifer Fink

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Dr. Doug Ihrke

Introduction: Employers are increasingly adopting workplace wellness programs designed to improve employee health and decrease employer costs associated with health insurance and job absenteeism. This dissertation examines the outcomes of 6,375 obese health care workers who were offered financial incentives for participating in an employee wellness program (EWP) as they relate to participation and potential change in body mass index (BMI). This study aims to contribute to three distinct literatures, including …