Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Body Dissatisfaction And Weight Bias In Children, Megan Janette Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This article reviews the rate of body dissatisfaction and weight bias among young children. It was initially hypothesized that body-image begins much earlier than adolescence, where most interventions take place. Out of fifty articles read on the subject, forty-five peer reviewed articles were included in this review. The findings of these articles were synthesized for a comprehensive review on the topic. Results suggested that weight bias begins around three years of age, while body dissatisfaction begins around age five for girls, and seven for boys. Rates of body dissatisfaction among children were similar to the rate among adolescents, averaging out …

An Examination Of Entrainment In Typically Developing Children, Kiersten A. Pope

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

Purpose: Conversational entrainment describes the tendency for individuals to align their behavior with their communication partners and is essential for successful interaction. Evidence of entrainment in adults is robust, yet research regarding its development is sparse. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of a quasi-conversational paradigm for the purpose of identifying the speech rate entrainment abilities of children.

Method: Data were collected from a total of 50 typically developing children from 5-14 years old. Participants completed an entrainment task to identify the presence of speech rate modification depending on the presence of “fast” or “slow” stimuli. The entrainment task utilized a …

A Systematic Review Of Language Therapy In Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors, Ari Watt

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

Purpose: Brain tumors and associated treatments in children have been shown to cause long term neurological damage. While there is a large body of research focusing on treating associated cognitive deficits, relatively little research has focused on improving linguistic ability in this population. This systematic review identified and summarized the available evidence related to language treatment for pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Methods: A systematic electronic database search resulted in the identification of four relevant treatment studies, two position papers and one online forum. A data extraction manual and form was used to methodically extract study information related to participant demographics, …

Validating Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: A Non-Invasive Assessment Of Skin Carotenoids As A Biomarker Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Children, Sheryl Swain Aguilar

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

Background: Adult studies have found a strong correlation between serum carotenoids and skin carotenoids measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS). No published studies have examined correlations between skin and serum carotenoids among children.

Objectives: (1) To validate skin RRS methodology against serum carotenoid measurements by high-performance liquid chromatography and (2) to determine if RRS skin carotenoids can be used as a valid biomarker of total fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among children.

Design: Participants were 45 healthy children age 5-17 who provided 3 blood samples used to assess serum carotenoid concentrations and 3 RRS skin measurements (using a Biophotonic ScannerTM) …

A Multi-Component School-Based Intervention Aimed At Increasing Vegetable Preference And Intake Among Elementary-Aged Children, Elizabeth Strasser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to implement and assess a school-based multi-component intervention aimed at increasing elementary school-aged children's knowledge of, preference for, and intake of vegetables. The multi-component intervention included lunchroom exposure, nutrition curriculum in the classroom, after school program vegetable curriculum, family friendly nutrition newsletter, vegetable fair and parent cooking class. Lunchtime vegetable consumption was assessed by direct observation. Changes in preference, attitude, and knowledge were assessed using a pre- and post-intervention survey.

The multi-component intervention was implemented at Canyon Elementary during the 2008-2009 school year. Classroom teachers provided 20 minutes of nutrition education to students in grades one through …

A Comparison Of Muscle Activity Responses Of Adults And Children During Whole Body Vibration, Dustin Blair Nash

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Results of recent studies have suggested that attenuation and transmissibility of WBV in adults and children are similar, but due to anatomical differences, it is hypothesized that children employ different strategies. One suggested strategy is that of muscle tuning, whereby muscle activity levels are adjusted to control potentially dangerous accelerations produced by vibration resonance. The purpose of the study was to compare muscle activity responses between children and adults exposed to whole body vibration. It was hypothesized that the muscle activity in children would be greater than that in adults due to muscle tuning strategies. Eleven adults and fourteen children …

Parental Attitudes And Perceptions Related To Their Children's Physical Activity And Eating Patterns, Megan Leatham Dubois

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children's physical inactivity and poor eating patterns have received a great deal of attention in our country and worldwide. Studies have been conducted to identify determinates related to children's physical activity and eating patterns and to identify strategies for promoting positive behaviors. Parental support is a well-accepted determinate of children's physical activity and eating patterns. However, little qualitative research has been done to determine parental attitudes and perceptions related to this critical role.

First, the study sought to gain a greater understanding of parental perspectives on their children's physical activity and eating patterns. Second, the study examined parental attitudes and …

Prevalence Of Type 2 Diabetes In Youth And Adolescents, Julie Patterson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Until recently, Type 2 diabetes was typically regarded as a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. While it is still true that this age group maintains a higher risk than younger adults, evidence is accumulating that onset in those of a much younger age. Children and adolescents are now part of this epidemic. This new phenomenon brings a serious new aspect to the global diabetes epidemic and heralds an emerging public health problem of major proportions. Prevention and treatment in these youth cannot be taken lightly. Prevention can be maintained through implementing exercise and balanced nutrition. It is essential to …

Eating Trends In Childhood, Emily Willmore

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Children ages 6 through 11 years are progressing in many aspects of their life. Of interest, children are establishing eating patterns that will be carried throughout their lives. Some of these patterns can be considered problematic and need to be addressed, these include: overfeeding or obesity, adequacy of major minerals and establishing healthy eating patterns. We conclude that while some children's eating patterns are problematic, there are means to resolve these trends. They include counseling, family involvement, physical exercise and nutrition education in school at a young age.

Effects Of Literacy Based Communication Intervention On Expressive Language Of A Young Child, Celeste C. Reynolds

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A positive correlation has been demonstrated between improved expressive language skills and intervention using literacy related activities in the school-aged populations for both normally developing and developmentally delayed children. Norris (1991) found that children's literature provides meaningful contexts that are ideal for helping school aged children learn language in a manner that is interesting an does not artificially fragment language into subcomponents or splinter skills. Children can learn to recognize and use the abstract, complex, and subtle aspects of language in the context provided in written language. "The use of written language for intervention provides a context for integrating spoken …

Comparative Analysis Of Syntactic Abilities Of Hard-Of-Hearing And Deaf Children, As Measured By The Screening Portion Of The Test Of Syntactic Abilities, Dawn Misenhimer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

According to the authors of the Test of Syntactic Abilities (TSA), the most difficult task facing deaf and hard-of-hearing children in our educational system is the acquisition of English. The structure, or syntax, of the English language, is especially challenging for these children. The eventual result is that few deaf and hard-of-hearing students acquire even an adequate knowledge of standard English. This in turn affects all other aspects of education, including the learning of reading, writing and content subjects (Quigley, Steinkamp, Power & Jones, 1978). Most deaf and hard-of-hearing children do not even use English syntax to any great extent …

The Use Of Symbolic Modeling On Generalized Imitation In Children, Emmett G. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ten experimentally naive children between the ages of six and eight served in three generalized imitation experiments using symbolic models. Subjects were presented videotaped behaviors to imitate via closed circuit television, and their responses were mechanically defined, recorded, and reinforced in an effort to control social influences from the presence of the experimenter. In Experiment 1, imitation of three behaviors was reinforced and imitation of a fourth behavior was never reinforced for four subjects. Two other subjects received noncontingent reinforcement. The following independent variables were tested: (1) the presence and absence of an experimenter, (2) instructions to "Do that," and …