Digital Commons Network^™

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Non-Communicable Disease Risk: A Narrative Review, Catherine M. Phillips, Ling-Wei Chen, Barbara Heude, Jonathan Y. Bernard, Nicholas C. Harvey, Liesbeth Duijts, Sara M. Mensink-Bout, Kinga Polanska, Giulia Mancano, Matthew Suderman, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

There are over 1,000,000 publications on diet and health and over 480,000 references on inflammation in the National Library of Medicine database. In addition, there have now been over 30,000 peer-reviewed articles published on the relationship between diet, inflammation, and health outcomes. Based on this voluminous literature, it is now recognized that low-grade, chronic systemic inflammation is associated with most non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as impaired neurodevelopment and adverse mental health outcomes. Dietary components modulate inflammatory status. In recent years, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®), a literature-derived …

Increased Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Schizophrenia: Results Of A Case–Control Study From Bahrain, Haitham Jahrami, Moez Al-Islam Faris, Hadeel Ghazzawi, Zahra Saif, Layla Habib, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

Background: Several studies have indicated that chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with the development of schizophrenia. Given the role of diet in modulating inflammatory markers, excessive caloric intake and increased consumption of pro-inflammatory components such as calorie-dense, nutrient-sparse foods may contribute toward increased rates of schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary inflammation, as measured by the dietary inflammatory index (DII^®), and schizophrenia. Methods: A total of 120 cases attending the out-patient department in the Psychiatric Hospital/Bahrain were recruited, along with 120 healthy controls matched on age and sex. The energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was computed …

Increased Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Schizophrenia: Results Of A Case-Control Study From Bahrain, Haitham Jahrami, Mo'ez Al-Islam Faris, Hadeel Ali Ghazzawi, Zahra Saif, Layla Habib, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hebert

Faculty Publications

Background: Several studies have indicated that chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with the development of schizophrenia. Given the role of diet in modulating inflammatory markers, excessive caloric intake and increased consumption of pro-inflammatory components such as calorie-dense, nutrient-sparse foods may contribute toward increased rates of schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary inflammation, as measured by the dietary inflammatory index (DII (R)), and schizophrenia. Methods: A total of 120 cases attending the out-patient department in the Psychiatric Hospital/Bahrain were recruited, along with 120 healthy controls matched on age and sex. The energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was computed based …

Health Literacy Changes In A Technology-Enhanced Diabetes Prevention Program, Cody Goessl

Theses & Dissertations

Background: In 2001, the Diabetes Prevention Program was published evaluating the efficacy of a pharmaceutical intervention, Metformin, and a behavioral lifestyle intervention (LI) to reduce incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The LI was observed to reduce the incidence of the disease by 58% relative to 31% in the medication treatment. Amongst technology based LIs, little has been done to address different health literacy populations.

Objectives: This dissertation evaluated how teach-back and teach-to-goal can influence the uptake of information obtained in each health education lesson, behaviors and its influence on engagement and weight loss.

Methods: Four hundred forty-two participants …

A Study Protocol For An Mhealth, Multi-Centre Randomized Control Trial To Promote Use Of Postpartum Contraception Amongst Rural Women In Punjab, Pakistan, Xaher Gul, Waqas Hameed, Sharmeen Hussain, Ishaque Sheikh, Junaid-Ur-Rehman Siddiqui

Community Health Sciences

Background: Provision of family planning services during the immediate post-partum phase is considered effective and cost-efficient for promoting healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. This research aims to test the effectiveness of mobile phone-based interventions in promoting use of postpartum contraception. Moreover, it will also test the non-inferiority of text and voice messages compared to interactive phone-based counselling.
Methods: A three-arm, 10-month, multicentre, randomized controlled trial will be conducted at 15 social franchise (SF) health facilities in Punjab province of Pakistan. Pregnant women aged 15-44 years who are in their first or second trimester and have a mobile phone for …

Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension And Use Of Biomass Fuel Among Women: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study, Zafar Fatmi, Georgia Ntani, David Coggon

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To explore the associations of hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD) with use of biomass fuel for cooking.
Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
Setting: Rural villages in Sindh, Pakistan.
Participants: Women aged ≥40 years who had used biomass fuel for cooking for at least the last year (n=436), and a comparison group (n=414) who had cooked only with non-biomass fuel during the last year were recruited through door-to-door visits. None of those who were invited to take part declined.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Hypertension was determined from blood pressure measurements and use of medication. CHD was assessed by three …

Information Diffusion And Social Norms Are Associated With Infant And Young Child Feeding Practices In Bangladesh, Phuong H. Nguyen, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sunny S. Kim, Amanda A. Zongrone, Amir Jilani, Lan Mai Tran, Tina Sanghvi, Purnima Menon

Faculty Publications

Background

Interaction within mothers’ social networks can theoretically diffuse messages from interventions and campaigns into norms and practices for infant and young child feeding (IYCF).

Objectives

We hypothesized that mothers’ social networks, diffusion of information, and social norms differed in intensive [intensive interpersonal counseling (IPC), community mobilization (CM), and mass media (MM)] compared with nonintensive (standard IPC and less-intensive CM and MM) intervention areas, were associated with IYCF practices, and partly explained practice improvement.

Methods

We conducted household surveys at endline in 2014 and follow-up in 2016 (n = ∼2000 each round). We used multiple regression to test differences …

Choline: Exploring The Growing Science On Its Benefits For Moms And Babies, Hunter W. Korsmo, Xinyin Jiang, Marie A. Caudill

Publications and Research

The importance of ensuring adequate choline intakes during pregnancy is increasingly recognized. Choline is critical for a number of physiological processes during the prenatal period with roles in membrane biosynthesis and tissue expansion, neurotransmission and brain development, and methyl group donation and gene expression. Studies in animals and humans have shown that supplementing the maternal diet with additional choline improves several pregnancy outcomes and protects against certain neural and metabolic insults. Most pregnant women in the U.S. are not achieving choline intake recommendations of 450 mg/day and would likely benefit from boosting their choline intakes through dietary and/or supplemental approaches.

Decomposing Trends In Child Obesity, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Robert L. Wagmiller

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

We unravel the absolute level and relative prominence of two demographic processes that are relevant for childhood obesity, and that will ultimately determine the long-term course and pace of change in child obesity rates. We leverage data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to decompose change in child obesity from 1971 to 2012. We partition change into that attributable to (1) healthier, more nutritionally and economically advantaged cohorts in the population being replaced by cohorts of children who are less advantaged (between-cohort change), and (2) the health habits, nutrition, and social and economic circumstances of all cohorts of …

Higher Pro-Inflammatory Dietary Score Is Associated With Higher Hyperuricemia Risk: Results From The Case-Controlled Korean Genome And Epidemiology Study_Cardiovascular Disease Association Study, Hye Sun Kim, Minji Kwon, Yi Hyun Lee, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hebert, Cheongmin Sohn, Woori Na, Mi Kyung Kim

Faculty Publications

In previous studies, the elevated dietary inflammatory index (DII^®) scores have been consistently associated with several chronic diseases. However, the relationship with hyperuricemia remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if the DII is associated with hyperuricemia risk. The study included 13,701 participants (men 5102; women 8599) in a large-scale cross-sectional study in South Korea. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) was used to measure dietary intake, and blood samples were obtained to determine hyperuricemia. As the DII score increased, the hyperuricemia risk increased among women (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.03–1.77, p trend = …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Its Relationship With Cervical Carcinogenesis Risk In Korean Women: A Case-Control Study, Sundara Raj Sreeja, Hyun Yi Lee, Minji Kwon, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Mi Kyung Kim

Faculty Publications

Several studies have reported that diet’s inflammatory potential is related to chronic diseases such as cancer, but its relationship with cervical cancer risk has not been studied yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®) and cervical cancer risk among Korean women. This study consisted of 764 cases with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1, 2, 3, or cervical cancer, and 729 controls from six gynecologic oncology clinics in South Korea. The DII was computed using a validated semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Odds ratios and 95% CI were calculated using multinomial …

Bacteria-Mediated Modification Of Insecticide Toxicity In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Sara S. Scates, Scott T. O'Neal, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The incidence of mosquito-borne disease poses a significant threat to human and animal health throughout the world, with effective chemical control interventions limited by widespread insecticide resistance. Recent evidence suggests that gut bacteria of mosquitoes, known to be essential in nutritional homeostasis and pathogen defense, may also play a significant role in facilitating insecticide resistance. This study investigated the extent to which bacteria contribute to the general esterase and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450)-mediated detoxification of the insecticides propoxur and naled, as well as the insecticidal activity of these chemistries to the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Experiments conducted using …

A Background Of The Opioid Epidemic And Its Relationship To The Medicaid Expansion, Er Yearn Jang

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper provides a background to the opioid epidemic in the United States. The opioid epidemic, a public health crisis, is perceived by the public to be caused by issues in the medical field. By providing a historical background to the epidemic, this study demonstrates that the beginnings of the opioid crisis were not only rooted in past issues within the healthcare field but in previous social misconceptions about opioids. This historical backdrop is proceeded by an examination of opioid pharmacology, which discusses what opioids are, what is currently known about opioid addiction and reviews the presently used treatments for …

Post–Modern Epidemiology: When Methods Meet Matter, George Davey Smith

United States Public Health Resources

In the last third of the 20th century, etiological epidemiology within academia in high-income countries shifted its primary concern from attempting to tackle the apparent epidemic of noncommunicable diseases to an increasing focus on developing statistical and causal inference methodologies. This move was mutually constitutive with the failure of applied epidemiology to make major progress, with many of the advances in understanding the causes of noncommunicable diseases coming from outside the discipline, while ironically revealing the infectious origins of several major conditions. Conversely, there were many examples of epidemiologic studies promoting ineffective interventions and little evident attempt to account for …

Evaluation Of Family Inc.'S Home Visitation Program, Brooke A. Linnenbrink

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

FAMILY, Inc. is a nonprofit that provides public health and family support services to women, children, and families in Pottawattamie and Mills counties. It's home visitation program provides health education information to families in the communities that are expecting a child or have a child less than five years of age. This project looked at FAMILY, Inc.’s database regarding the health of children enrolled in their home visitation program and use that information to help develop health education tools as they prepare to expand their programming to include Early Head Start (EHS). Currently FAMILY uses the Parents as Teachers curriculum, …

Exploring The Role Of Social Capital In The Implementation Of Fruit And Vegetable Incentive Programs: A Case Study Of The Appalachian Farmacy Program, Kiriinya Mwirigi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study was conducted to explore the role of social capital in the implementation of Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Programs (FVIP) through a case study of the Appalachian Farmacy (AF) program and to fill a gap in literature on social capital utility in the implementation and evaluation of FVIPs. The study was guided by a conceptual model adopted from Berkman et al. (2000) to identify the mechanisms through which social networks can impact health. A qualitative content analysis was conducted retrospectively on secondary data from the evaluation of AF program to identify social capital attributes. In addition, the study conducted …

Determining The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Medical Support Personnel's Knowledge To Administer A Standardized Developmental Screening Tool., Leslie Chiaventone Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early treatment of developmental delays leads to improved outcomes for children (Yeung et al., 2014). In order to benefit from early intervention, children with developmental delays must be identified and referred at a young age. Although the use of validated developmental screening tools is supported by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, these instruments are used variably by general physicians in pediatric practice (King et al., 2010). Because of the expanding work roles of medical support personnel, it is worthwhile to determine if this group can administer and score a developmental screening tool after completing an educational intervention to assist …

Mhealth Childhood Obesity Prevention: A Look Into The Hispanic Mother’S Perspective, Veronica Isabel Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Along with increasing physical activity, improving nutrition is an important behavior to target to reduce the risk of obesity in children and adolescents. To date, a nutrition-focused mHealth intervention used to promote obesity prevention and healthy living among Hispanic children and adolescents has not been specifically developed for Hispanic mothers. The purpose of this study was to provide information on feasibility and acceptability of a mHealth child nutrition intervention among Hispanic mothers. The data was collected from an online survey and telephone interviews from 30 mothers of 8-12-year-old Hispanic girls. Most mothers were 40 years old or younger (70%), identified …

The Impact Of Food Security Status On The Food Shopping Behavior And Patterns Of 2018 Brighter Bites Participants At Baseline, Sarah A. Crulcich

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Households with children continue to have a greater prevalence of food insecurity compared to the national average. While the national food security rates have improved in recent years, it remains stagnant among children. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional regression analysis on food shopping patterns and behavior among Brighter Bites participants stratified by food security status to offer more insight into how these households obtain fresh produce. We used baseline survey data from Brighter Bites participants completed during fall 2018. The results indicate that food insecure Brighter Bites households shop more frequently for produce at locations …

Tuberculosis Among Dairy Workers In Bailey County, Texas, Anabel Rodriguez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

On January 2016, Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS) Public Health Region 1 (PHR 1) conducted T-SPOT.TB tests in response to two requests to screen dairy workers potentially exposed to cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis or bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Bailey County, Texas. Out of 140 workers tested, 14 had confirmed latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI)—prevalence of 10.0%. This first study gave rise to questions concerning tuberculosis (TB) knowledge and exposure history among dairy workers in this same county. The second study focused on determining TB knowledge among dairy workers through a series of questions administered by research personnel on …

Evaluation Of Food Journal Application Validity In Comparison With Dhq Iii, Michael Roa

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

As chronic conditions associated with the high prevalence of obesity/overweight in the United States continue to rise, research focusing on nutrition has grown in recent years. The gold standard for collecting detailed nutritional information on individuals is food journals, mostly via pen and paper. Alternatively, smartphone food journal applications have become more popular and widely accessible in recent years. These applications allow the user to quickly make meal entries, often taking advantage of the application’s food and servings database.

This study compared the results of the third iteration of the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ III) with a dietary journal data …

Family Planning And Youth In West Africa: Mass Media, Digital Media, And Social And Behavior Change Communication Strategies, Sarah Castle, Martha Silva

Reproductive Health

This review presents evidence about the impact of mass media and digital media on young people’s family planning attitudes and behaviors. It primarily focuses on the Ouagadougou Partnership countries, but also describes lessons from other initiatives implemented more widely in Africa and elsewhere. Due to the paucity of family planning evidence, the review also includes material from higher income countries where mass and digital media have been used in communication initiatives to prevent non-communicable diseases. In addition, it draws on studies from low- and middle income countries where such media have been used to create demand for maternal and child …

Piloting A Cooking Demonstration Curriculum For Dietetics Students, Jill Henderson

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

Cooking demonstrations are a unique and effective way to teach nutritional concepts and basic cooking skills in a community setting. They have been found to be beneficial for participants in attendance as they improve confidence in the kitchen, cooking skills development, and the promotion of healthier foods into the diet. Classroom learning facilitates critical thinking but does not necessarily provide a platform for hands-on learning. In planning and executing community-involved cooking demonstrations, students are able to connect content learned in the classroom to professional practice. Over the last decade the field of dietetics has involved more community-based programs designed to …

Factors Associated With Eosinophilic Esophagitis In Nevada, Julia Lorraine Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a rare immune-mediated illness with symptoms that range from difficulty swallowing to food impaction of the esophagus. Most published studies have been documented among patients residing in cool regions with significant annual rainfall. No published studies to our knowledge have been performed examining the healthcare utilization trends of EoE in Nevada. Utilizing two unique databases, the factors associated with EoE healthcare utilization patterns in Nevada were examined. All analyses were performed in R version 3.5.1. This study included a demographic and regional analysis identifying risk factors associated with having an EoE healthcare visit in Nevada. Several …

Older Adults’ Expectations, And Knowledge Of Oral Health Issues: A Study Of Arkansas Seniors, Virginia Marie Hardgraves

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The life expectancy of the U. S. population is increasing. The advantages of fluoridated water, dental insurance, greater awareness of preventive oral healthcare measures, and more restorative dental services, have helped this generation of adults maintain their teeth into their advanced years. The demand for oral health care services will be greater and more complex that of previous generations. Challenges for the older adult, and the healthcare system providing for them, are complex. Increasing evidence of a link between oral health and overall health underscores the need to promote public health awareness of the need for dental care to be …

Unimóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care To The Colonias Of The Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, Eron G. Manuosv, Vincent P. Diego, Jacob Smith, Jesus R. Garza Ii, John Lowdermilk, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Francisco Fernandez

School of Medicine Publications

Background: We describe a mobile unit (UniMóvil) designed to improve poor healthcare access delivery to residents in two South Texas underserved Colonias. The interprofessional team measured seven clinical outcomes [obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and depression], and using the Duke Health Profile, assessed the health-related quality of life (HrQoL).

Methods: The investigators used previously reported disease prevalence, an implementation model, and community needs-assessments to design an outreach healthcare delivery model. A retrospective review of the cohort provides data used to determine potential predictors of clinical variables, 11 domains of HrQOL, and inter/intra Colonia …

Behavior Change Interventions Delivered Through Interpersonal Communication, Agricultural Activities, Community Mobilization, And Mass Media Increase Complementary Feeding Practices And Reduce Child Stunting In Ethiopia, Sunny S. Kim, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Yisehac Yohannes, Yewelsew Abebe, Manisha Tharaney, Elizabeth Drummond, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Marie T. Ruel, Purnima Menon

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices are critical for optimal child growth and development, but in Ethiopia, complementary feeding (CF) practices are very poor. Alive & Thrive (A&T) provided intensive behavior change interventions through 4 platforms: interpersonal communication (IPC), nutrition-sensitive agricultural activities (AG), community mobilization (CM), and mass media (MM).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of A&T intensive compared with nonintensive interventions (standard nutrition counseling and agricultural extension service and less intensive CM and MM) on CF practices and knowledge and child anthropometric outcomes.

METHODS: We used a cluster-randomized …

Puskesmas Readiness In Accreditation Implementation As Efforts To Improve The Health Service Quality In Sumbawa District, Nurul Saptorini Rahmadhani, Dumilah Ayuningtyas

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

. In achieving Universal Health Coverage in 2019, it is necessary to increase access and quality of health services to the community. Puskesmas accreditation is a method of improving the quality of service and patient safety as well as a condition to do collaboration with BPJS. According to Donabedian, quality of services needs to be supported by standardized structures, processes and outcomes which are oriented to internal and external customers. This study aims to analyze the readiness of Puskesmas in accreditation implementation as an effort to improve the quality of health services in Sumbawa Regency. This effort is an implementation …

Body Mass Index Z-Score Modifies The Association Between Added Sugar Intake And Arterial Stiffness In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: The Search Nutrition Ancillary Study, Natalie S. The, Sarah C. Couch, Elaine M. Urbina, Jamie L. Crandell, Angela D. Liese, Dana Dabelea, Grace J. Kim, Janet A. Tooze, Jean M. Lawrence, Elizabeth J. Mayer-Davis

Faculty Publications

The relationship between added sugar and arterial stiffness in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has not been well-described. We used data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study (SEARCH), an ongoing observational cohort study, to determine the association between added sugar and arterial stiffness in individuals diagnosed with T1D(n = 1539; mean diabetes duration of 7.9 ± 1.9 years). Added sugar intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, and arterial stiffness measures included pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index. Separate multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between added sugar and arterial stiffness. …

Protocol For A Process Evaluation Of A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Learning Club Intervention For Women's Health, And Infant's Health And Development In Rural Vietnam, Jane Fisher, Trang Nguyen, Thach Duc Tran, Ha Tran, Tuan Tran, Stanley Luchters, David Hipgrave, Sarah Hanieh, Beverley-Ann Biggs

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Learning Clubs is a multi-component intervention to address the eight common risk factors for women’s health, and infant’s health and development in resource-constrained settings. We are testing in a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Vietnam whether this intervention improves cognitive development in children when they are aged two. There are few comprehensive process evaluations of complex interventions to optimise early childhood development. The aim is to conduct a planned process evaluation of the Learning Clubs intervention in Vietnam.

Methods: The evaluation will be conducted alongside the Learning Clubs trial using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Four domains will …