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Targeting Obesogenic Behaviors: Pilot Testing A Modified Rhode Island Efnep Curriculum, Sarah La Roque Harper

Open Access Master's Theses

There are clear disparities in the prevalence of childhood obesity with low-income, minority populations being at the highest risk The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) educates low-income populations primarily on improving their diet. Including other target behaviors such as physical activity, screen time and child feeding practices may be beneficial to help curb the obesity epidemic. In Rhode Island (RI), a qualitative study found that parents who had previously participated in EFNEP wanted to learn about these topics. Three additional EFNEP modules were developed covering these areas. The purpose of this study was to conduct a process evaluation …

Attendance At Type 1 Diabetes Camp Improves Nutrition Knowledge In Children And Adolescents, Kaitlyn Whipple

Open Access Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to systematically assess nutrition knowledge in children and adolescents before and after attending a diabetes camp enhanced with a 45- minute education intervention. Knowledge was assessed using the Nutrition Knowledge Survey (NKS), a tool that has been validated in 10-18 year olds with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM).

Methods: This study used a single group pre-post design. Campers completed the pre NKS at start of camp. The intervention was provided during camp, and campers completed the post NKS on the final day. Medical history and demographic data were collected from camp records. …

An Examination Of Sequential And Simultaneous Behavior Change Within Two Multiple Health Behavior Change Conditions, Eva-Molly Petitto Dunbar

Open Access Master's Theses

Research on the simultaneous treatment of multiple health risk behaviors has grown in recent years in the field of multiple health behavior change. Yet there is little research on how people change behaviors that are treated simultaneously. To help predict behavior change, and, thus, to prevent chronic illness on a population level, it is necessary to advance understanding of the patterns of behavior change. The present study examined participants with multiple health risk behaviors who have changed pairs of behaviors over time. Data were analyzed from four randomized controlled trials using Transtheoretical Model (TTM) tailored interventions and comparison groups (N …

The Effect Of A Family-Based Dietary Intervention On Dietary Fiber Density In Children Ages 6-11, Jennifer Nobles

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Fiber intake has been shown to be higher in normal weight children compared to overweight and obese children. However, the effect of family-based interventions have been inconclusive.

Objective: To determine if a family-based weight management intervention, which has been successful at lowering BMI Z-score, has an effect on energy adjusted dietary fiber intake and other markers of dietary quality.

Methods: Sixty-six children ages 6-11 and their guardians participated in a 16 week nutrition and physical activity intervention. Guardians and children completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) during the first and last sessions. The FFQ provided information …

Food Safety And School Garden Program, Valerie Calberry

Open Access Master's Theses

School food safety education programs have increased knowledge and promoted proper food safety practices, attitudes and beliefs of students. Supplying young children with basic food safety education is important for the development of foundational food safety knowledge and behaviors. The primary objective of the Food Safety and School Garden Program (FSSGP) was to develop an intervention curriculum that integrated food safety principles into school garden-related activities and the primary hypothesis was that there would be a significant increase in students’ knowledge from pre- to post-intervention. The secondary objectives of this study were to assess knowledge changes by grade and by …

Examining Eating Rate In Women Recruited From Low-Income Sites, Anne Therese Edwards

Open Access Master's Theses

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States. Food insecurity is related to obesity, especially in women. Obesity is associated with a fast eating rate (ER) and failure to reduce ER during meals. The purpose of this research is to measure ER in food insecure women in community settings utilizing a novel, mobile measurement system using laptop computers. Low-income women (n=20), ages 18-65 (mean±SD age= 46.5±13.7 years) with a body mass index (BMI) over 18.5 kg/m² (mean±SD BMI=35.7±6.6 kg/m²) were recruited from a food pantry and free clinic in Rhode Island. The United States Department …

Longitudinal Study Of Physical Functioning In Adults With Chronic Neurological Conditions, Marcia Kimberley Lyons

Open Access Master's Theses

There is limited information in the literature comparing gait speed among individuals who are in the chronic stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The primary aim of this study was to examine the physical functioning of individuals with these chronic neurological conditions over a 12-month period assessed at baseline (time 1) and six month intervals (time 2, 3). This observational research study used descriptive statistics and to describe the physical functioning of individuals with PD, stroke and TBI and was part of a longitudinal study being conducted over five years to describe communication, dietary and …

Fermentable Carbohydrate Intake And Differences In Health Parameters In Us College Students, Brittany Navrkal

Open Access Master's Theses

Background

Indigestible, fermentable carbohydrates are bioactive dietary carbohydrates not digested by human enzymes but are fermented into short chain fatty acids and gases by colonic bacteria. These carbohydrates display prebiotic effects and may influence body mass index (BMI), glucose regulation, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol. However, intakes of fermentable carbohydrates have not been explored in the general US population and potential metabolic effects have not been well elucidated. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine consumption of total fermentable carbohydrates and subclasses, oligosaccharides and polyols, in US college students (n=359, body fat= 25.4±9.3%, 83% female) and potential health …

The Green Eating Project: Web-Based Intervention To Promote Environmentally Conscious Eating Behaviours In Us University Students, Jessica T. Monroe, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Becky L. Sartini, Geoffrey W. Greene

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of an online, interactive intervention, referred to as the Green Eating (GE) Project, to motivate university students to adopt GE behaviours.

Design: The study was quasi-experimental and integrated into courses for credit/extra credit. Courses were randomly stratified into experimental or non-treatment control. The 5-week intervention consisted of four modules based on different GE topics. Participants completed the GE survey at baseline (experimental, n 241; control, n 367) and post (experimental, n 187; control, n 304). The GE survey has been previously validated and consists of Transtheoretical Model constructs including stage of change (SOC), …

Effects Of Intensified Care Management Activities And Diabetes Medication Copayment Reduction On Medication Adherence And Health Care Costs, Kyungwan Hong

Open Access Master's Theses

Diabetes mellitus (hereinafter referred to as diabetes) is a serious health concern affecting the daily lives of many Americans in both clinical and financial aspects. Diabetes affects approximately 26 million people of all ages in the United States, and the total estimated medical costs of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. in 2012 exceeded $200 billion. To obtain better health outcomes, prevent complications, and reduce unnecessary costs, some health insurance plans encourage patients to enroll in diabetes management programs that monitor patient's health status more closely and assist in the adoption of healthy behaviors and habits. The aims of this study …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Bronchodilator Prescribing In Copd And Cardiovascular Comorbidity, Damilola Tejumola Adesanoye

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Bronchodilators used to treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease have been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Moreover, the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in COPD (8-40%) requires an evaluation of treatment differences between comorbid groups in order to understand the appropriateness of drug prescribing.

Objective: To determine whether COPD patients with concurrent CVD are less likely to be prescribed bronchodilators compared to those without CVD.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) to quantify the association between concurrent CVD morbidity and the probability of receiving a bronchodilator …

Playground Use And Executive Function Development During Preschool Years, Alyssa Francis

Open Access Master's Theses

The current research explores executive function (EF) development among the children at the University Of Rhode Island’s child development centers (CDCs). Specifically, the research explores the role of outdoor play in executive function development. Two samples, the Providence Child Development Center and the Kingston Child Development Center, are compared twice (time 1 and time 2) across 5 months to assess the role of an outdoor play structure in executive function development. The independent variable, playground type has two levels: a playground structure (Kingston CDC) and open outdoor space (Providence CDC). Executive function is assessed using three tasks, the Day/Night task, …

Epidemiology Of Puffy Snout Syndrome In Tuna, Taylor M. Voorhees

Open Access Master's Theses

The domestication of tuna species has proven to be one of the most challenging endeavours in aquaculture. Among the issues yet unresolved is the occurrence of ‘puffy snout syndrome,’ a condition in which tumor-like growths form on the head. Ultimately, vision and feeding are impaired and long-term afflictions typically result in mortality. Though few mentions of puffy snout exist in the literature, evidence suggests that it is not uncommon among facilities that hold tunas in captivity. The specific aims of this study were to: a) describe pathological features of puffy snout, and b) investigate its etiology through the evaluation of …

Undestanding Stage Of Change Transitions Across Multiple Behaviors, Leslie Ann Daline Brick

Open Access Dissertations

Health behavior research reveals that individuals vary in their general readiness to change their behaviors, as well as their attitudes and beliefs about that change. Adolescents are an important population for health behavior change interventions because the choices and behaviors early in life can have long-term health impacts. A large (N=42158), school-based Transtheoretical Model (TTM) randomized trial evaluated two tailored, computer-delivered multiple behavior interventions designed to impact energy balance behaviors, including physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and TV viewing, or substance use, including smoking and alcohol. The study took place over a four-year period, with intervention points during grades …

Understanding The Barrier And Facilitators Of Lifestyle Intervention Programs For Preventing Diabetes In High Risk Hispanic Adults, Lisa Adorno Dimaria

Open Access Dissertations

Since the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002) concluded that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in pre-diabetic individuals, translation of the study's intensive lifestyle intervention has been a research priority. Translational research conducted with the high risk Hispanic population is in its infancy. In general, the needs of this population have been neglected in the development and refinement of interventions to prevent T2D. This qualitative study explored intervention components and the perceived facilitators and barriers to making and sustaining dietary and physical activity behavior changes within the context of a lifestyle intervention program designed for a high …

Predicting Co-Relapse Among Nutrition And Exercise From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood, Kristina Monteiro

Open Access Dissertations

Despite significant public health efforts, obesity remains a stagnant outcome comprised of multiple health behaviors including fruit and vegetable intake (FV) and physical activity (PA). Existing research has provided correlates of FV and PA behaviors over development, with secular trends towards acquiring negative health behaviors (e.g., sedentary behaviors). This study examined demographic and dynamic predictors of FV and PA regression at one-year post-intervention within three samples including middle school, high school, and college. Regression is defined using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) as being in Action or Maintenance at baseline and regressing to a pre-Action stage at one-year follow-up. The novel …

Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Enjoyment In Physical Education And Its Relationship To Participation In Physical Activity Outside The School, Shima Younes-Alhourani

Open Access Dissertations

For many years, the status of physical education (PE) in public schools in Palestine as well as other countries was jeopardized. However, the decline of engagement in PE and the reduction and/or elimination of PE programs in the US and other countries including Palestine, along with the increased obesity and sedentary behaviors among children, have motivated governments in countries like Canada, the United States and England to take action (Cairney et al., 2007; & Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, 2007). Students in the United States and other countries, including Palestine, tend to demonstrate negative attitudes toward physical education (PE) at …

Examining Health Professional Students’ Attitudes On Interprofessional Education, Suzanne Carr

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing need for healthcare teams to effectively collaborate and communicate to improve patient outcomes. The need to improve patient care has been well established and cited by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Quality Health Care in America landmark report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System (IOM, 1999; Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 2000). Health educational programs are known to be a gateway to changing behaviors of health professionals to impact practice and direct patient care. Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been identified as a viable mechanism to increase the collaboration and communication of health …

Insomnia And Identity: The Discursive Function Of Sleeplessness In Modernist Literature, Sarah Kingston

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the topic of insomnia in British and American modernist literature, focusing primarily on the ways in which the condition of insomnia and the identity category of the “insomniac” intersect with other aspects of subjectivity, such as gender, occupation, race, and social class. Through examining insomnia from a narratological perspective, using fictional, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and medical literature, I discuss the discursive function of both this disorder and identity category during the Modernist period. It also explores the relationship between insomnia and Modernism itself, regarding both the discursive production of knowledge of insomnia and the insomniac during this …

An Exploratory Study Of The Role Of The Town Nurse, Lynn P. Blanchette

Open Access Dissertations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was designed to expand and refocus health care delivery to a more preventative mode as opposed to a curative one. Despite being a highly industrialized country, the United States of America (USA), ranks 37th in the world in a number of health outcomes including life expectancy, universal health coverage for core services, maternal outcomes and obesity rates among adults. Public health nursing is being called to respond to this need. What is missing from the literature is a description of the role of the Town Nurse.

A descriptive, exploratory study of the …

Effects Of Perfluorinated Compounds (Pfcs) On Metabolic Tissues And The Benefits Of Caloric Restriction, Deanna M. Salter

Open Access Dissertations

The CDC states that there has been a dramatic increase in obesity from 1990 to 2010. Type-II diabetes and obesity prevalence are increasing worldwide. Often, obesity and Type-II diabetes are concurrent, and predispose individuals to development of fatty liver disease, referred to as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two commonly studied perfluorinated compounds (PFC’s) that are considered environmental toxicants that have the potential to elicit diabetic and NAFLD phenotypes. This dissertation presents novel findings of gaps within the literature to date. Traditionally, diabetes and obesity have been discussed in regard with …

An Economic Analysis Of Food Safety And Public Health: Milk Pasteurization In The United States, Huiqiang Wang

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation is a comprehensive economic history study to the public health impacts of milk pasteurization in the United States. It has four major focuses which are included into four chapters. Chapter I is a case study to the public health impact of Chicago’s pasteurization ordinance. This study sets up the causal relationship between milk pasteurization and health outcomes. Chapter II extends the new econometric tool, the synthetic control methods, from a single unit to multiple treated units. This chapter also measures the impacts of pasteurization ordinances in a group of cities. Chapter III is written from an econometric perspective. …

Chemical Investigation Of Candidate Probiotics In Aquaculture And Formulation Of A Probiotic Agent For Oyster Larviculure, Christine Anh Dao

Open Access Dissertations

Aquaculture is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. The United States is a significant consumer to both fresh and marine aquaculture products. Aquaculture sales in Rhode Island have dramatically increased in the last 20 years. In Rhode Island nearly 4.3 million oysters were produced via aquaculture in 2012. Currently, hatcheries and nurseries in the United States produce large amounts of a variety of species of oysters, clams and scallops. Oysters are filter feeders and are exposed to many microbes in the hatchery. Infectious diseases from bacterial pathogens in the hatcheries can have serious impacts on production. Vibrio species are often responsible …

Predatory Behavior And Physiological Response Of Chinese Mantids To Toxic And Non-Toxic Lepidopteran Prey, Jamie L. Rafter

Open Access Dissertations

Prey have evolved a number of defenses against predation, and predators have developed means of countering these protective measures. Monarch caterpillars, Danaus plexippus, for example, feed on milkweed plants in the genus Asclepias and sequester cardenolides as an anti-predator defense. However, some predators are able to consume this otherwise unpalatable prey. The observation of a Chinese mantid, Tenodera sinensis, consuming the body tissue of a monarch caterpillar while ‘gutting’ the prey (i.e., removing the gut and associated internal organs) without any apparent ill-effects prompted this research. In a series of behavioral trials we explored how adult T. sinensis …

The Stigma Of Obesity: Examining The Relationship Between Bmi And The Treatment Of Pain In Surgery Patients, Dennis H. Sewchuk Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing epidemic of obesity in the United States and a corresponding increase in the number of morbidly obese patients receiving healthcare. Despite the increasing focus and research on obesity over the years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has continued to worsen. A stigma against obesity exists in the general public including among healthcare professionals. Attitudes and bias of healthcare professionals against obesity can negatively affect judgment and choices related to the enactment of care, affecting both the quality of healthcare delivered and patient outcomes. Studies have shown that stigmatization against groups of patients such …

Role Of Nuclear Factor E2 Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) In Environmental Chemical Induced Steatosis And Adipogenesis, Prajakta Shimpi

Open Access Dissertations

Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity both in the young and adult population is increasing at an alarming rate globally. Along with traditional risk factors, such as diet and sedentary life style, exposure of environmental chemicals is suspected to be a risk factor for metabolic disruption. Moreover, the ‘fetal basis of adult disease’ hypothesis implicates that early life exposure to environmental chemicals is more impactful in causing lipid homeostasis disturbances than exposure in maturity. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a cytoprotective transcription factor known to combat oxidative stress. The contribution of Nrf2 to other …

Food- And Health-Related Correlates Of Self-Reported Body Mass Index Among Low-Income Mothers Of Young Children, Karen Mccurdy, Tiffani S. Kisler, Kathleen S. Gorman, Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine how income-related challenges regarding food and health are associated with variation in self-reported maternal body weight among low-income mothers.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: Two Northeastern cities. Seven day care centers and a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach project.

Participants: Sample of 166 mothers; 67% were overweight or obese, 55% were Hispanic, and 42% reported household food insecurity (HFI).

Main Outcome Measures: Maternal self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI). Independent variables were food program participation, supermarket use, 8-item food shopping practices scale, HFI, maternal depressive symptoms, and self-rated health.

Analysis: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis …

Awaken Your Agepotential, Exploring Chosen Paths Of Thrivers, Skye N. Leedahl

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fair Fishing Human Rights And Sustainability In Bilateral Fishing Agreements Between The Eu And Developing Countries, Anna S. Antonova

Open Access Master's Theses

This project investigates bilateral fishing agreements between the European Union and developing states in order to assess the extent to which these agreements are as successful at implementing international law principles as European Union officials have claimed they are. Over the past two decades, European Union rhetoric has communicated an intent to take on a normative power role in advancing human rights and sustainable development approaches in the context of global fisheries policy. Officials have propagated an image of a “new Europe,” conscientious of its colonizing heritage, committed to promoting good maritime governance, and ensuring responsible fishing worldwide as part …

A General Equilibrium Theory Of Contracts In Community Supported Agriculture, Thomas W. Sproul, Jaclyn D. Kropp

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) contracts allow consumers to buy claims on a farm's future production. In turn, the consumer provides working capital to the farm during the growing season. CSA contracts also provide risk management for farmers with limited access to Federal crop insurance by transferring part of the farm's risk to the consumer. We derive a theory of CSA contract pricing for the two most prevalent types of CSA contracts: yield contracts, in which consumers receive a percentage of the farm's production, and weight contracts, in which consumers receive fixed quantities. We develop a two-period model in which expected …