International and Community Nutrition Commons^™

Examining The Benefits And Client Satisfaction Of The Open Arms Of Minnesota Meal Service Program, Carlie Rhinehart

Capstone Experience

Chronic disease can leave individuals incapable of caring for themselves, leading to a low quality of life. Public health researchers have proven how crucial medically tailored meals are to those fighting such chronic diseases. Open Arms is a local nonprofit that started in 1986. They make and deliver meals, free of charge, to people with life-threatening illnesses.

The goal of this study is to examine the benefits of the meal services provided by Open Arms of Minnesota to clients who are chronically ill. To learn about the benefits, analysis was conducted on the client satisfaction survey data collected. The anonymous …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Incorporating Nutrition Education And Counseling Services Into A Diverse, Low-Income Community Health Center, Rebecca Marie King

Graduate Theses

Suboptimal nutrition has been identified as the leading behavioral risk factor of morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases in the United States, yet approximately ten percent of all primary care visits included nutrition counseling by physicians in 2014 (Marczak, O’Rourke, & Shepard, 2016; GBD 2013 Risk Factor Collaborators, 2015; Rui, Hing, & Okeyode, 2015). The integration of registered dietitians into the primary care setting may serve as a potential solution to increasing the rates of delivery for nutrition counseling and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the incorporation and impact of a three-month nutrition education …

The Effect Of Food Donations On The Micronutrient Intake Of Soup Kitchen Clients, Abigail Fudge

Honors Scholar Theses

For the past two years, this author has been the program director for a volunteer group called Food Recovery. Food Recovery collaborates with UConn Dining Services to collect unsold food items from UC Cafes on campus, and donates them to the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic, CT. The majority of the donations provided by Food Recovery are pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, that are made fresh daily by Dining Services staff and are sold in UC Cafes to the UConn community. The Covenant Soup Kitchen supports people experiencing food insecurity in Willimantic, by providing multiple hot meals throughout the week.

This …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

Increasing Fruits And Vegetable Consumption Among Snap Recipients Through An Innovative Prescription Program: Appalachian Farmacy, Kiriinya Mwirigi, Beenish Kamran

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction:

Food insecurity prevalence in Washington County, TN is 14.3% yet 61% of SNAP eligible residents are food insecure. Food insecurity is associated with inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as increased risk of chronic disease. Tennessee ranks 47^th in the Nation with only 6.7% consuming the recommended fruits and vegetable intake. The Farmacy Pilot Program was developed to encourage increased consumption of produce and to reduce food insecurity among SNAP recipients.

Methods:

This program provided vouchers to SNAP recipients and their families to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market and in the grocery …

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2018, Judy Benson, Ann Baldelli, Bill Hanrahan, Ellen Johnson

Wrack Lines

From Sea to Table: Fish, Shellfish and sea vegetables from local waters

Promoting Healthy Eating Habits And Physical Activity Among School-Aged Children In Kuwait – “My Healthy Habits" Summer Camp, Ghanima Alabdullah

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of an eight-week nutrition and physical activity intervention at a summer camp to prevent obesity, and promote healthy eating habits and physical activity among children in Kuwait was studied. Two summer camps were recruited for intervention and comparison groups. Convenient sampling was used (N= 79). Pre-test/post-test assessment were used for the participants in the intervention and comparison groups. Modified Healthy Habits Survey (HHS) was used to measure children’s knowledge, behavior and attitude about nutrition, screen time and physical activities, BMI-for age percentile were collected. Statistical analysis included independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-squared test, McNemar's test, and multiple regression. …

Influence Of Perceived Stress On Dressing And Eating Behaviors Of Chinese Female University Students Residing In The United States, Kandiah Jayanthi, Diana Saiki, Kiya Dues, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis

Publications and Research

The objective of this research was to evaluate how perceived stressful conditions (PSC) and perceived non-stressful conditions (PNSC) influence eating and dressing behaviors of Chinese females. Chinese female university students (18–30 years) residing in the United States, completed a validated and reliable 45-itemized Chinese Stress Eating and Dressing Survey (CSEDS). The CSEDS included: (i) effort to control making healthy eating choices and dressing, (ii) foods eaten and dress items selected during PSC, (iii) foods eaten and dress items selected during PNSC, and (iv) demographics. Seven comfort food categories and eight appearance categories were used. The CSEDS included multiple choice, yes/no, …

Food Availability, Including Traditional Foods, In Grocery And Convenience Stores In 6 High Obese Counties In South Dakota, Including Native American Reservations, Francesca Willard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native American populations are disproportionately affected by obesity and its associated chronic diseases. Rural areas are also disproportionately affected by obesity and face significant challenges related to their food environment, food security, and food availability. The combination of these barriers make it challenging for rural, NA reservations to combat these health disparities and have opportunities to make healthy food choices. The lack of access to healthy and traditional foods in these areas is of great concern. The purpose of this study is to determine the food availability, including traditional foods, in grocery and convenience stores in six high obese counties …

Cultural Sensitivity In Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Programming In Kentucky, Anna Caroline Durr

Theses and Dissertations--Dietetics and Human Nutrition

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to learn how cultural sensitivity was integrated and perceived in community nutrition education of an existing program offered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Education Program. Data collection consisted of a quantitative cultural competence assessment survey tool used with nutrition education paraprofessionals (n=74), qualitative in-depth interviews of nutrition education paraprofessionals (n=8) and focus groups of Hispanic/Latino nutrition education program participants (n=39). Findings were focused in three areas; the cultural sensitivity needs of the program, the perception of nutrition education by participants and the training and professional development needs of …

A Qualitative Study Of Families’ Experiences With Food Insecurity In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Elias Omer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Ethiopia has shown considerable progress in alleviating the decades-long food insecurity problem, but still, in the context of urban areas such as Addis Ababa families continue to struggle to make ends meet. The overall purpose of this research is to explore families’ lived experiences and coping mechanisms with food insecurity. Framed with the narrative-empowerment theoretical framework this ethnographic study outlines the findings of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion of 35 adults and children and observational notes. Participants were able to tell their perception, causes, and impacts of food insecurity in their families. They outlined the daily strategies they employ …

Waste Not, Want Not: Using Source-Separated Urine To Cultivate Maize In The Southern Highlands, Tanzania, Lucy Hatfield

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In Sub-Saharan African countries, soil fertility is low due to unsustainable agricultural practices and little to no access to chemical fertilizer. Poor yields have resulted in many of these countries struggling to produce enough food to feed their growing populations. Human urine has been used as an effective, low-cost alternative to chemical fertilizers in greenhouse and plot trials on a variety of vegetables, but its effects on elemental grain composition in cereal crops are largely unknown. Here we tested whether diluted human urine applied as a fertilizer can increase maize crop growth, yield and nutritional content on small family-owned plots. …

Farmers Market Education With Supplemental Voucher Improves Farmers Market Awareness In Elementary Children, Ali Papendick

All Master's Theses

Purpose:The purpose of this pilot intervention study was to provide farmers market (FM) education coupled with FM voucher to assess FM awareness, attendance, and voucher use. Methods:Kindergarten through 3^rdgrade students attending a summer school program participated in this three-week FM pilot intervention study. A pre/post intervention questionnaire was distributed to students to assess FM awareness and attendance. In addition, an $8 FM voucher was provided to children for purchases of fruit and vegetables at the local FM. The voucher was valid for two weeks and fruit and vegetable purchases were recorded each week. Results:This study …

Teens As Teachers In The Garden: Cultivating A Sustainable Model For Teaching Healthy Living, Virginia Bolshakova, John Gieng, C. Sheena Sidhu, Mary Vollinger, Lorena Gimeno, Jessica Guild

Faculty Publications

School gardens are an ideal space to deliver a healthy living curriculum, such as nutrition and physical activity education, to elementary school youth. However, public schools often lack the resources and support to establish sustainable garden-based programming. We created the Healthy Living Ambassador program, a collaborative after-school garden program in low-income communities that brought together resources from schools, community programs, and University of California Cooperative Extension. This school garden program featured culturally competent teens as teachers to serve as near-peer educators and mentors to elementary school youth. The program development model incorporated lessons from sustainable community-based health program interventions and …

Strategies To Address The Complex Challenge Of Improving Regional And Remote Children’S Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Stephanie L. Godrich, Christina R. Davies, Jill Darby, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Fruit and vegetables (F&V) are imperative for good health, yet less than one per cent of Australian children consume these food groups in sufficient quantities. As guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this paper aimed to: (i) understand key informant perspectives of the amount, types and quality of F&V consumed by rural and remote Western Australian (WA) children; and, (ii) determine strategies that could increase F&V consumption among rural and remote WA children. This qualitative study included 20 semi-structured interviews with health, school/youth and food supply workers, focusing on topics including: quantity and type of F&V consumed and strategies to …

Vulnerable, Single And Living In Poverty: Women’S Challenges To Accessing Food In The Australian Capital Territory, Tanya Lawlis, Amanda Devine, Penney Upton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To explore challenges to food access faced by vulnerable women living in the Australian Capital Territory and surrounds.

Method: Qualitative study comprising semi‐structured interviews supplemented with quantitative demographic data.

Results:Forty‐one women, mean age of 43 years, living in government and community housing who had an income of

Conclusion: Access to safe, nutritious and healthy food is difficult for women living in poverty. Acknowledgement of challenges that contribute to women’s food insecurity by all stakeholders is essential to address the problem and build sustainable actions and solutions.

Implications for public health: Collaboration from all stakeholders within our food system …

Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program Evaluation Report, Tae Hwan Ihm

Master's Projects

Santa Clara County conducts a Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) in conjunction with the City of San Jose, the Outreach Paratransit Program and local community-based organizations (CBOs) like Sourcewise (Lam, 2015). These programs combined represent a significant investment of public funds, with more than 45% of the SNP program’s funding coming from the county General Fund (Lam, 2015). Such a large financial commitment needs to demonstrate some benefit to the participants, and some positive outcomes from the current program design. This study evaluated the SNP’s effectiveness in achieving its primary goals. Primary goals of the SNP are to promote senior citizens’ …

Iron Deficiency Was Not The Major Cause Of Anemia In Rural Women Of Reproductive Age In Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tafere Gebreegziabher Belay, Barbara J. Stoecker

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Background

Anemia, which has many etiologies, is a moderate/severe public health problem in young children and women of reproductive age in many developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of iron deficiency, anemia, and iron deficiency anemia using multiple biomarkers and to evaluate their association with food insecurity and food consumption patterns in non-pregnant women from a rural area of southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 202 rural women of reproductive age in southern

Ethiopia. Anthropometrics and socio-demographic data were collected. A venipuncture blood sample was analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb) and for biomarkers …

Assessing The Effect Of Nutritional Interventions On Body Composition Changes During Pregnancy In Moderately Malnourished Malawian Women, Megan K. Kitagawa

Master's Theses

Background: Malnutrition can affect the body composition changes that occur in healthy pregnancy, resulting in adverse effects to both the mother and infant. Supplementary foods with high quality protein may result in more favorable changes in lean mass and fat mass in pregnant malnourished women.

Objective: To retrospectively assess changes in body composition in moderately malnourished pregnant Malawian women in response to one of three nutritional interventions.

Methods: Height, weight, MUAC, and TSF were measured in pregnant women with MUAC >20.6 cm and19) were compared using ANOVA. If differences were detected, differences between groups were tested using the Tukey HSD …

Investigation Of The Cultural Context Of Sugars Consumption Behavior In Low-Income Mexican-American Women, Tanya J. Benitez, Colleen Keller, Kathryn Coe, Natasha Tasevska

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Despite the recent federal dietary recommendations to limit consumption of added sugars to less than ten percent of daily caloric intake, there is a gap in published literature examining the influence of food preparation behaviors on sugars consumption among low-income Mexican-American women. The purpose of the study was to describe the cultural context of Mexican-American women in procuring, preparing and presenting added sugars in their families’ diets.

Five focus groups were conducted to examine sugars consumption behavior in thirteen overweight/obese low-income Mexican-American women ages 27-40 years. Themes that emerged during the sessions included: changes in food procurement to include high-sugar …