Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Influences Of Chronic Stress On Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Anxiety, Depression, And The Microbiome, Julia A. Semaan

Masters Theses

IBS effects approximately 5% of the world’s population with symptoms ranging from unexplainable constipation to daily abdominal pain. Though treatment options are available and have been proven beneficial for certain individuals, discovering the root cause of IBS has been difficult to accomplish due to the variety of symptoms that differ from case to case. This study aims to increase understanding of the influence that chronic stress has on irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, and the microbiome in the college-age population since this group is likely to experience daily stressors, anxiety- and depressive-like thoughts, as well as IBS symptoms. Current research …

Assessing Basic Needs Insecurity Prevalence And Associated Factors Among College Students Enrolled At A Large, Public University In The Southeastern U.S., Mary Kathleen Robbins

Masters Theses

Abstract

Background: Basic needs insecurity (BNI), defined as having both food and housing insecurity, is an emerging issue on college campuses. Students experiencing basic needs insecurity may be more likely to have poorer academic performance, as well as poorer physical and mental health compared to other students. This research assesses the prevalence of food, housing, and basic needs insecurity among college students enrolled at a large, public university and identifies factors associated with experiencing food, housing, and basic needs insecurity.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at a large, public university in the Southeast U.S. Eligible, enrolled students (n=23,444) …

How Do Food Shopping Behaviors Differ Between High-Income And Low-Income Shoppers In The Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area?, Alison M. Cooney

Masters Theses

Background: The social determinants of health and health equity are influenced by access, environment, and socioeconomic status (SES). Health inequities are preventable and can be avoided with systemic policy change surrounding the distribution of wealth and resources. Few studies have researched the differences in different income levels and the influence income has on food shopping behaviors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in food shopping behaviors between high-income and low-income shoppers living in the same zip code. Subjects Sixty-eight individuals who live in the 49341 zip code which represents a small city in Kent County, …

Exploring The Impact Of A Breakfast In The Classroom (Bic) Program In An Urban Middle School In Western Massachusetts, Maria O'Donnell

Masters Theses

Although breakfast programs in schools have been encouraged in school-aged children due to numerous benefits on physical and academic performance, participation in School Breakfast Programs (SBP) remains lower than the National School Lunch Program in the United States. Some studies have found that lower participation in the SBP are due to barriers and stigmas. Some studies have found that when breakfast programs are taken into the classroom, uptake of the program improves. However, the relationship between breakfast intake and academic outcomes among young adolescents remains inconclusive. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a newly implemented …

An Assessment Of Schools' Wellness Policies And Teachers’ Perspectives And Confidence In Teaching Nutrition In Elementary Schools In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Asma Yahya

Masters Theses

Nutrition education in school can provide students with the knowledge and skills to improve their eating behavior and overall health. This study aimed to evaluate the content of school wellness policies and understand teacher perspectives about teaching nutrition education at their schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2020, electronic surveys were used to evaluate the wellness policies in 11 elementary all-female government schools and teachers’ perspectives about the nutrition education offered in three elementary all-female government schools. Sixty-one teachers and eleven principals participated in this study. Fisher’s exact tests were used to test the differences between teachers’ perspectives and their …

The Impact Of School Nutrition Education And Physical Education Programs On Weight Status Of Obese Children Aged 5-12 Years, Lamia Alotaibi

Masters Theses

Epidemiological studies indicate that 12.5 million children and adolescents are considered obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Obesity is on the rise globally, and while it affects both children and adults, early measures can be taken to reduce the number of children who are obese, and therefore, come into adulthood at a higher risk for obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea. There are many studies in which programs are implemented and tested for effectiveness; therefore, a systematic review of these studies that examine which factors play into overall obesity prevention and health improvements among …

The Effects Of Parenting Style And Feeding Style On Child Weight Status: A Systematic Review, Rahaf A. Alahmadi

Masters Theses

Childhood obesity is a global health concern. According to the World Health, prevalence of obesity decupled in the last four decades, where 124 million children and adolescents are now considered obese (“Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity”, 2019). Organization Interactions between parenting styles and feeding styles play a critical role in the development of a child's lifestyle habits, which may impact their weight status. The purpose of this study was to identify how parenting and feeding styles impact a child’s weight status. A systematic review of the literature, guided by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Manual protocol, was …

The Relationship Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Disordered Eating Attitudes: Examining The Health At Every Size Theory, Liana Cho

Masters Theses

Background. In the modern day treatment of overweight/obesity, conflicting recommendations regarding treatment have been released by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and advocates of the Health at Every Size (HAES) movement. While the AND have indicated their support for self-monitoring practices, such as keeping a food diary or tracking calories, HAES advocates have claimed that these restrictive practices may result in increased disordered eating tendencies and poor self-esteem.

Subjects. The participants for this study included 410 students at Grand Valley State University. Almost 80% of participants were female, and just over 85% of participants identified as white. …

Spice And Herb Use Among Cancer Patients, Mallory H. Krueger

Masters Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine cancer patients' use of, perceived benefits, and beliefs about herbs and spices after their cancer diagnosis.

Methods: An online questionnaire was used to explore types of herbs and spices used by cancer patients and assess cancer patients' experiences with, and perceived benefits of, and beliefs about spice and herb use. The online questionnaire included three sections: herb and spice use, herb and spice attitudes, and cancer characteristics and demographics. Participants were recruited through online cancer groups and registered dietitian nutritionists.

Results: The study included 135 cancer patients. Participants (71.9%) were likely …

Evaluation Of Myplate Recommendations And Dietary Habits Of Eiu Rotc Cadets: A Mixed Methods Approach, Lilibeth Nevarez

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if MyPlate recommendation knowledge, dietary habits, and eating for performance influence the daily consumption among Eastern Illinois University ROTC Cadets. The sample population included EIU ROTC cadets (n=19), between the ages of 18 to 28 years old. A mixed-method approach, using a questionnaire along with focus groups interviews of six to ten cadets from all class levels, was used to obtain data. Results indicated that the highest mean score was 18.9 for MyPlate recommendation knowledge. In addition, five themes were analyzed: Inconsistency of dietary intake, High cost of eating healthy, Post workout …

Role Of Race/Ethniciy, Pre-Pregnancy Bmi, And Socioeconomic Status On Risk For Large-For-Gestational (Lga) Infants Born To Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Gdm), Anna M. Kiefer

Masters Theses

Background Fetal macrosomia occurs in approximately 10% of all pregnancies taking place in the United States. Babies born LGA are placed at a greater risk for shoulder dystocia, perinatal trauma, cesarean section, jaundice, hypoglycemia, and neonatal intensive care admission. Even more, the long-term impacts are severe and include increased risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have higher rates of delivering macrosomic offspring due to insulin resistance taking place beyond what is normal during a pregnancy. Additionally, maternal obesity, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity have been associated with …

The Financial Burdens Associated With Managing Pku Dietary Needs As An Adult, Melissa C. Bernzen

Masters Theses

This study was designed to identify the financial burdens associated with purchasing medical foods and the impact this has on the dietary management of adults with PKU. PKU is a genetic disorder in which the body cannot metabolize the amino acid, phenylalanine, which occurs in all foods with protein. Dietary treatment of foods low in protein along with medical supplementation is required for the treatment of PKU. If PKU is left untreated this can lead to severe neurological damage. Medical guidelines indicate that dietary treatment is needed for the duration of one's life, but the medical foods needed are expensive …

Nutritious Meals For The Homeless Population: Challenges And Opportunities, Kayla A. Albrecht

Masters Theses

Objective: Consuming a nutritionally adequate diet is extremely challenging for the homeless population. Though meals are available to the homeless population through soup kitchens and homeless shelters, these settings often do not serve meals that provide essential nutrients. The consumption of energy-dense, low-nutrient foods has led in part to high prevalence of obesity, heart disease, and chronic illnesses among the homeless. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the challenges that homeless shelters face in providing nutritious meals to guests and (b) investigate the need and interest of nutrition education at homeless shelters.

Methods: Nine homeless shelter directors …

The Effect Of Television Watching And Portion Size On Intake During A Meal, Rachel Nicole Rosenthal

Masters Theses

Background: Several investigations have examined the influence of television and portion size on intake. Results have found that watching television while eating or being provided larger portions increases intake. However, no investigation has examined the combined effect of these variables on food intake, when these factors are combined they may enhance consumption.

Methods: To test the influence of television and portion size on intake during a meal in healthy weight adults, a 4X2X2 mixed factorial design was used, with a between-subject factor of order of conditions and within-subject factors of television (TV vs. NO TV) and portion size (SMALL vs. …

Examining The Relationship Between Vitamin A Intake And Weight Management, Jennifer Paige Eastep

Masters Theses

Introduction: Treatments of retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A (VA) are shown to induce hyperlipidemia in humans and animals, which may influence adiposity. To understand the role of VA in weight management, two studies, one in animals examining effects of VA combined with high-fat diet (HFD) on body mass (BM) gain and the second in humans comparing dietary VA between participants who were overweight/obese and who had and had not lost 10% of body weight by consuming a hypocaloric, low-fat diet, were conducted.

Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a HFD containing sufficient VA (HF-VAS) or a HFD …

Do Smartphone Applications Aid In Weight Loss? A Study On The Efficacy Of Apps As A Supplemental Weight-Loss Aid, Elizabeth C. Fitzsimmons

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, mobile technology has been developed in the hopes of improving health outcomes, especially related to weight loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone application as a supplementary weight loss tool among highly motivated individuals. Twenty-five individuals over the age of 18 were included in the study based on BMI and participation in a Midwest weight-loss clinic. Intervention group participants (n = 13) were instructed to use the MyFitnessPal app to monitor food intake and receive SMS-style nutritional messages. The control group (n = 12) received no mobile-based intervention, but …

When Nutrition Kills You: Malnutrition For Children In Saudi Arabia, Layla Alahmari

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the issues of Saudi children and their sick and malnourished are shown. Many Saudi's children suffer from anemia. Usually Saudi's children suffer from malnutrition because their parents do not instill healthy food habits. Saudi's children also, suffered due to nutritional inequality consequential from the appearance of poverty, and parent illiteracy. The purpose of this study was to determine most significant factors that result in malnutrition of children in Saudi Arabia.

The study was a quantitative, non-experimental design. It was a survey and correlational study. The hypotheses results were not significant. The researcher observed in particular results, which …

Associations Of Cooking Self-Efficacy And Frequency Of Icook-4h Youth Participants With Dietary Quality And Bmi At Baseline, Amber Donaldson Ford

Masters Theses

Background: With increased obesity has come increased ready-made and fast food consumption and decreased homemade food consumption. Previous studies have shown associations between cooking self-efficacy (SE) and cooking frequency (CF) with dietary quality and weight status. Cooking interventions have shown positive associations with dietary outcomes, such as increased fruit and vegetable intake and decreased fast food consumption. There is still much unknown about SE and CF, especially among youth.

Objective: The objective of this project was to determine baseline SE and CF and the associations with dietary quality and body mass index (BMI) of youth enrolled in iCook 4-H.

Methods: …

Nutrition Marketing On The Front-Of-Package: 2007-2014, Ana Elizabeth Hoffmann

Masters Theses

Objective: The objectives of this research were to describe the proportion of packaged foods with front-­‐of package nutrition marketing or marketing to children that were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar content, and to delineate changes in the proportions of these foods from 2007 to 2014.

Methods: Front-­‐of-­‐pack nutrition marketing, child marketing, and nutrient criteria from the Nutrition Facts Label on all packaged food items in a large Midwestern supermarket were recorded in 2007 (n = 5,500) and again in 2014 (n = 6,324). Products were coded as high/not high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar according to agreed …

Can Consumers Perceive A Difference In Quality When Comparing Whole-Grain Gluten-Free Baked Goods To Refined Gluten-Free Baked Goods At Varying Flour Levels, Jenna R. Carlson

Masters Theses

The prevalence of celiac disease and gluten intolerances has increased drastically in the last few decades, accounting for 1 in 100 individuals, or about 1% of Americans (Mager, Qiao, & Turner, 2012). The only treatment for celiac disease or any other gluten intolerance is the gluten-free diet. The gluten-free diet can lack many essential nutrients. The purpose of this research was to identify if consumers could perceive a difference in quality when comparing whole-grain gluten-free baked goods to refined gluten-free baked goods at varying flour levels of 20%, 50%, and 100%.

The researcher-developed Carlson Acceptability of Gluten-Free Baked Goods Survey …

An Exploration Of College Student Experiences Regarding Healthy Eating At A Midsized Midwestern University: A Qualitative Approach, E. Jordan Stayer

Masters Theses

This study was an exploration of the experiences college students have while eating in on-campus dining centers at a midsized, Midwest, public university. The present study examined college students' (n = 7) experiences of eating in the dining centers with a campus meal plan. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their individual beliefs, their surrounding environment, and their physical behaviors while dining.

The study concluded that dining habits are very personal to each and every human being in the world. At the higher education level, because each student brings with them a completely different taste, desire, and …

The Impact Of Nutrition Education On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of Elementary School Students, Constance Evans Herriott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutrition education on the fruit and vegetable consumption of third grade students. This was in an effort to determine whether nutrition education played a role in the consumption of fruits and vegetables because current intakes are very low. This quasi-experimental study consisted of a relatively small convenience sample at a rural elementary school. For this study, thirty-minute nutrition education lessons were delivered for four consecutive weeks to the experimental group. In order to assess the impact of the lessons, fruit and vegetable plate waste were gauged prior to and …

Assessing The Impact Of Pre-Meal To-Go Containers On Consumption And Satiety, Claudia Bueno

Masters Theses

Lack of portion control is one of the main causes of obesity. Restaurants offer portions larger than recommended by the USDA. This can lead to portion distortion among consumers and increased consumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of offering a to-go box before a meal on reducing consumption.

In this quasi-experimentally designed study, a convenience sample of diners (N=35) served as subjects. The experimental group (n=18) was offered a to-go box before the meal, and the control group (n=17) was offered a to-go box after the meal. The food was …

Increasing Cooking And Nutritional Knowledge Of Food Pantry Clients Via Cookbook Intervention, Joshua Kleczynski

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess eating habits, cooking habits, and nutritional knowledge of food pantry clients. As a whole, the average American consumes a less-than-optimal intake of nutrients. This, combined with the elevated national food insecurity rate of 14.5%, produces an advantageous situation to educate food pantry clients about healthy lifestyle practice through cooking. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design including a pre-assessment, intervention, post-assessment design. Forty-nine participants were included in study, and either received a cookbook (intervention group) or were a control subject and only completed surveys. Results revealed that the cookbook intervention did not elicit any behavior …

Comparison Of Two Dark Chocolate And Their Effect On Blood Pressure, Melissa A. Foor

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine if dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and if the concentration of the dark chocolate varies the result. Currently, one in four Americans has high blood pressure. The recommended treatment may include medicine or a diet referred to as DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This study followed a within-subjects design having all participants receive each type of dark chocolate. Twenty-seven participants started the study to measure their blood pressure while consuming dark chocolate for a week at a time. Results showed that Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate did not lower blood pressure significantly …

Pre-Meal To-Go Boxes: Implications For Portion Control, Margaret J. Schuster

Masters Theses

Title: Pre-Meal To-Go Boxes: Implications for Portion Control

Authors: M. J. Schuster, BS; T. L. Brooks, PhD, RD; J.E. Painter, PhD, RD; C. Honselman, PhD, RD

Introduction: Obesity rates are increasing and seem to be correlated with increasing portion sizes of restaurant meals because of consumer desire for value. The purpose of this study was to determine if using a pre-meal to-go box has an impact on customers' total food intake of a restaurant meal.

Methods: Subjects were a convenience sample of adults (n=49) at a spaghetti dinner. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive approximately 18 ounces of spaghetti and …

Do Weight Status And The Level Of Dietary Restraint Moderate The Relationship Between Package Unit Size And Food Intake?, Chrystal Louisa Haire

Masters Theses

Background: Package unit size may influence consumption. Single-serving (SS) packages, as compared to larger, standard (ST) packages, may increase awareness of what a standard serving is and assist in reducing consumption. Individuals who may be concerned about the amount they consume, such as overweight (OW) and dietary restrained individuals, may be more influenced by SS packages. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine if weight and dietary restraint status moderate the influence of package size on consumption. It was hypothesized that SS packages would help to reduce intake in OW and/or restrained individuals as compared to normal weight …

Students' Consumption Of Healthy Food Items Using A Social Marketing Intervention, Kayla Autumn Dalton

Masters Theses

This study was an analysis of student eating habits in an "all-you-care-to-eat" dining center at a mid-size, four year, Midwest residential institution. The present, quantitative study was replicated based off a study conducted in 2008 at a similar Midwest university by Diana Poovey Duncan. The present study examined college students' (n = 218) eating habits and consumption patterns over a nine-week study period. Participants were solicited to take the pre-intervention survey in person with incentives during the second week of the study while a post-intervention survey was sent electronically during the seventh week only to those whom provided an …

The Influence Of Dietary Variety And Course Sequence On Fruit Intake In Preschool-Aged Children, Chelsi Celcilia Cardoso

Masters Theses

Background: Fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in preschool-aged children remains below recommendations. As the environment can affect food consumption, this study tested the effects of two environmental factors, dietary variety and course sequence, on fruit and overall intake of a snack in preschool-aged children. Methods: Using a 2 x 2 x 2 design (between-subjects factor of order and the within-subjects factors of dietary variety and courses), 16 children (4.1 + 0.7 years of age, 56.3% female, 75.0% White, 93.8% non-Hispanic or Latino, and 0.5 + 1.3 BMI z-score) from 2 preschool classrooms (classroom 1 [n = 7] and …

Curricular Competencies Related To Cultural Competence For The Education And Training Of Registered Dietitians, Tegan Jean Medico

Masters Theses

Increasing demographic diversity, persistent health disparities, and ongoing efforts to reduce health care costs have made cultural and linguistic competence in the United States health care system a premier concern. Integral to improving cultural competence in health care is providing health professionals with adequate education and training in cultural competence. For this reason, there has been increasing attention paid by academia across health-related disciplines and by national organizations and governmental health agencies to delineating what cultural competence in education and training entails. Though a multidisciplinary body of literature on developing curricula related to cultural competence for health professionals exists, still …