Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Unifying Multi-State Efforts Through A Nationally Coordinated Extension Diabetes Program, Laura Balis, Shari Gallup, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Julie Buck, Pam Daniels, Dan Remley, Lisa Graves, Margaret Jenkins, Gayle Price

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

The Cooperative Extension System translates research to practice and “brings the University to the people” throughout the U.S. However, the system suffers from program duplication and is challenged to scale-out effective programs. One program, Dining with Diabetes (DWD), stands out for its dissemination to multiple states. DWD is a community-based program aimed at improving diabetes management, nutrition, and physical activity behaviors. DWD was coordinated through a national working group and implemented by state Extension systems. A pragmatic, quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the national coordination model and the overall impact of DWD. Four states reported data …

Efficacy Of An Enhanced Implementation Strategy To Increase Parent Engagement With A Health Promotion Program In Childcare, Courtney T. Luecking, Cody D. Neshteruk, Stephanie Mazzucca, Dianne S. Ward

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Previous efforts to involve parents in implementation of childcare-based health promotion interventions have yielded limited success, suggesting a need for different implementation strategies. This study evaluated the efficacy of an enhanced implementation strategy to increase parent engagement with Healthy Me, Healthy We. This quasi-experimental study included childcare centers from the second of two waves of a cluster-randomized trial. The standard approach (giving parents intervention materials, prompting participation at home, inviting participation with classroom events) was delivered in 2016–2017 (29 centers, 116 providers, and 199 parents). The enhanced approach (standard plus seeking feedback, identifying and addressing barriers to parent participation) …

Leveraging Online Learning To Promote Systems Thinking For Sustainable Food Systems Training In Dietetics Education, Marie Spiker, Amanda Hege, Janice Giddens, Joanna Cummings, Jasia Steinmetz, Angie Tagtow, Erin Bergquist, Lauren Burns, Christina Campbell, Diane Stadler, Elizabeth Combs, Nancy Prange, Aaron Schwartz, Katie Brown, Kevin Sauer

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Educating and training a multisectoral food systems workforce is a critical part of developing sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems. This paper shares perspectives from a working group of educators, learners, and food systems subject matter experts that collaborated over the course of a year to develop, pilot test, and evaluate two interactive webinar series with a multi-site cohort of dietetics interns and graduate students. The three-part webinar series format included a training webinar, a practice activity, and a synthesis webinar. In reflecting on the effectiveness of this format, we provide direct assessments of student learning from subject …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Parent Engagement With Health Promotion In Child Care: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation, Courtney T. Luecking, Phillip Dobson, Dianne S. Ward

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Early care and education providers cite lack of parent engagement as a central barrier to promoting healthy behaviors among young children. However, little research exists about factors influencing parent engagement with promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors in the this setting.

AIMS: This study aimed to address this gap by examining low and high parent engagement with the Healthy Me, Healthy We campaign to identify barriers and facilitators of parent engagement with the intervention.

METHOD: This comparative case study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. We created center-level parent engagement scores using process evaluation data from the effectiveness trial …

The Consequences Of Exercise-Induced Weight Loss On Food Reinforcement. A Randomized Controlled Trial, Kyle D. Flack, Harry M. Hays, Jack Moreland

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity remains a primary threat to the health of most Americans, with over 66% considered overweight or obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater. A common treatment option many believe to be effective, and therefore turn to, is exercise. However, the amount of weight loss from exercise training is often disappointingly less than expected with greater amounts of exercise not always promoting greater weight loss. Increases in energy intake have been prescribed as the primary reason for this lack of weight loss success with exercise. Research has mostly focused on alterations in hormonal mediators …

Contributions Of Early Care And Education Programs To Diet Quality In Children Aged 3 To 4 Years In Central North Carolina, Courtney T. Luecking, Stephanie Mazzucca, Amber E. Vaughn, Dianne S. Ward

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Parents and early care and education (ECE) are the key influencers of young children's diets, but there is limited information about how each contribute to children's overall diet quality.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine what proportion of children's dietary intake occurs within the ECE setting and whether diet quality is higher at ECE centers and, consequently, on weekdays than weekends.

DESIGN: This cross-sectional analysis of a larger cluster randomized controlled trial used multiple 24-hour dietary intakes measured through a combination of the Dietary Observation in Child Care protocol and parent-reported food diaries.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Participants (N=840) included children aged …

Nutrition And Environmental Pollution Extension Curriculum Improved Diet-Related Behaviors And Environmental Health Literacy, Dawn Brewer, Hannah Bellamy, Anna Hoover, Annie Koempel, Lisa Gaetke

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Kentucky experiences some of the nation’s worst health outcomes related to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other age-related chronic diseases linked with oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn are associated with poor diet, lack of physical activity, and exposure to certain environmental pollutants. In the Commonwealth, deteriorating infrastructure, inappropriate waste disposal, and potential occupational injury related to mining, agriculture, and other regionally important industries exacerbate the need for residents to have basic knowledge of potential environmental health threats. Unfortunately, community-level understanding of the complex connections between environmental exposures and health is limited, with many Kentuckians unaware that the …

Direct Effects Of The Home, School, And Consumer Food Environments On The Association Between Food Purchasing Patterns And Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents In Kentucky And North Carolina, 2017, Alison Gustafson, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Jordan Mcdonald, Hannah Ford, Paige Connelly, Rachel Gillespie, Emily Liu, Heather M. Bush, Candace Brancato, Toyin Babatande, Janet Mullins

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity rates are higher among rural versus urban adolescents. To examine possible mechanisms for the rural-urban adolescent obesity disparity, we examined the direct and indirect effects of food purchasing patterns, and the home, school, and consumer food environments on dietary intake among rural adolescents. Methods: A baseline survey was conducted among adolescents in eight rural high schools (four in Eastern Kentucky, and four in Eastern North Carolina). Participants answered questions about food purchasing patterns, dietary intake, home food availability, and demographics. The school and consumer food environments were assessed using validated measures from the School Meals Cost Study (United …