Digital Commons Network^™

Exploration Of The Role Of Neighborhood Residential Segregation By Race And Ethnicity In Obesity Risk Among School-Aged, Melissa L. Fair

Theses and Dissertations

Youth obesity prevalence remains high, despite decades of intervention. Grounded in the social ecological model, neighborhoods and schools are important settings in addressing the complex systems that influence obesity. Contributing to disparities, by race/ethnicity, Black and Hispanic youth are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods and attend segregated schools, which are also more likely to have high rates of poverty and are less likely to have high quality nutrition and built environments. Leveraging data from local school district (district and state department of education) and national datasets (ACS, Childhood Opportunity Index 2.0), this study examined the associations between school …

Perspectives About Food Safety In Diverse Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Sejla Isanovic

Theses and Dissertations

Concerns about unsafe food influence food choice, and consumption of unsafe foods increases morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Actions to ensure safety of food are dominated by mitigation of biological and chemical hazards through supply-side risk management, disregarding individuals’ experiences and perspectives of food safety. We aimed to identify and categorize perspectives about food safety in five countries. Five Drivers of Food Choice projects provided transcripts from 17 focus groups discussions and 303 interviews in Kenya, Ghana, India, Guinea, and Vietnam. We analyzed transcripts using a priori and emergent codes. Individuals constructed meaning about food safety …

Understanding The Genomic Influence And Virulence Capabilities Of Environmentally Isolated Vibrios, Shannon Elizabeth Pipes

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Vibrio consists of Gram-negative bacteria that possess a curved rod shape and are routinely isolated from estuarine and coastal salt water. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus are the major three species that contribute to human disease worldwide, and a variety of other Vibrio species contribute to persistent problems in the aquaculture and fishing industries. The CDC estimates that vibrios cause 80,000 cases of disease each year in the United States alone, however, this number is thought to be underestimated, since some disease is only self-limiting, meaning patients may not seek medical treatment and have …

Predicting Lower Body Soft Tissue Injuries In American Football With Gps Data, Nicholas Tice

Theses and Dissertations

It is of utmost importance to sports organizations that they keep their players as healthy as possible and contributing to the success of the team. Advancements in technology and investments by sports clubs have allowed researchers to better understand the role of load management in high-level athletes to mitigate injury risk. Through GPS tracking data provided by a collaborating Division I American college football team, we seek to predict lower body soft tissue injuries in future training sessions and reduce the number of potentially avoidable injuries within the organization. The difficulty of analyzing the injury data set is that the …

S-Equol: A Novel Therapeutic For Hiv-1 Induced Gut Dysbiosis, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

HIV-1 infection affects approximately 38 million people around the world. The advent of cART has greatly improved the quality of life of infected individuals; however, roughly 50% of these individuals will still experience HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Additionally, the gut microbiome has been reported to be dysbiotic in HIV-1 infected individuals, regardless of adherence to cART. Current research has pointed to the gut-brain-microbiota axis as a potential target to treat both cognitive deficits and microbial changes. The present study investigated S-equol (SE) as a potential therapeutic for HAND by modulating the gut microbiome. The study included 21 HIV-1 Tg …

Mining For Progress: Copper, Conflict, And Corporate Social Responsibility, Fritz Culp

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation examines how transnational mega-mines efface non-Western ways of knowing and being from the Andes. A growing branch of research is questioning the socio-environmental impacts of mining and the influence of regulatory institutions. Despite remarkable scholarship on the ongoing environmentalism of modern-mining, little critical attention has been given to the industry’s pivot to ‘sustainable’ development and its objectives that remain epistemologically centered on the West. My project addresses these gaps by examining Las Bambas—a large-scale copper mine located in South-Central Peru—and its contrasting objectives that emphasize both environmental ‘conservation’ and the ‘modernization’ of non-Western spaces. Building upon the critical …

Assessing Satisfaction With Bi-Weekly Produce Deliveries As A Means To Reduce Food Insecurity On College Campuses, Sophie Crosby

Senior Theses

Background: As food insecurity disproportionately affects college students and students are often unable to receive government nutritional assistance, more lasting, sustainable interventions are needed to decrease food insecurity on college campuses. The purpose of this study was to measure the satisfaction of the FoodShare program, a low-cost, biweekly fresh produce delivery, at the University of South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to pilot FoodShare’s program with adaptations to the University of South Carolina and examine participants’ experience with the program. Methods: Forty-three students, faculty, and staff purchased boxes over a three-month period. FoodShare boxes were purchased and delivered …

Homestead Vegetable And Poultry Production And Related Practices: An Assessment In Nepal, Shiva Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations

Consumption of nutrients-rich foods like diverse vegetables, eggs, and meat throughout a year remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries due to poor availability, accessibility, and affordability. One important way to overcome the challenge is to promote households’ own production of these foods and encourage individuals to consume. Improving household production of the foods necessitates understanding whether active participation and performance of frontline workers in the communities and performing improved production-related practices can translate into improved production of nutrients-rich foods. This study had two specific aims. The first aim was to examine demographic, socio-economic, and programmatic determinants of active …

Moderating Effects Of Parental Feeding Practices And Emotional Eating On Dietary Intake Among Overweight African American Adolescents, Mary Quattlebaum

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of parental feeding practices and adolescent emotional eating (EE) on dietary outcomes among overweight African American adolescents. Based on Family Systems Theory, it was hypothesized that parental feeding practices, such as parental monitoring and responsibility, would buffer the effects of EE on poor dietary quality, whereas practices such as concern about a child’s weight, restriction, and pressure-to-eat would exacerbate this relationship. Adolescents (N = 127; Mage = 12.83 ۫.74; MBMI % = 96.61 ± 4.14) provided baseline data from the Families Improving Together (FIT) for a Weight Loss trial and an ancillary study. Dietary outcomes …

Associations Between Child Characteristics And Maternal Mental Health In Families Of Children With Autism, Fragile X Syndrome, And Autism Associated With Fragile X Syndrome, Tiffany Nicole Worley

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the association between various child characteristics and maternal mental health concerns in three high-risk groups of mothers ± those of children with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (NSASD), mothers of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), and mothers of children with fragile X syndrome and autism (FXS+ASD). Research has shown that mothers of children with NSASD and FXS are thought to share a degree of genetic vulnerability to mental health concerns it is key to examine the various other factors that may contribute to difficulties within the family system and maternal stress, depression, and anxiety.

Participants for …

The Submission Of A Section 513(G) Request For Information, Morgan Ashley Lano

Theses and Dissertations

The Food and Drug Administration designates all medical devices into one of three general classes contingent on their intended use, indications for use, and potential risk to the user. This classification dictates the further path the device must take to be approved for the commercial market. Section 513(g) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360c(g)) is submitted in order to gain the agency’s unofficial classification and suggested regulatory requirements. The Coagulation Companion (MicroVide) is a device designed to fluorescently quantify a key enzyme involved in the coagulation cascade, plasmin, in pediatric patients. clot formation and degradation …

“That Was Denied Thee On Earth”: An Intersectional Bioarchaeology Of Institutionalized Euro-American Women Throughout 19Th And 20Th-Century America, Madeline Maria Atwell

Theses and Dissertations

In the mid 19th-century, American state-supported insane asylums, later renamed state mental hospitals in the 20th-century, were constructed to house and humanely treat individuals perceived to be socially deviant or mentally and physically ill. Women were particularly vulnerable to undue institutionalization because of the prevailing patriarchal gender ideology within medical and colloquial spheres that contributed to the perception that they were biologically pathological. This dissertation interprets the findings of combined archival, historical, and osteological analysis from two U.S. skeletal collections: The Colorado State Insane Asylum (CSIA) Collection and the Hamann-Todd Human Osteological Collection (HT), to examine the embodied, physiological impact …

Longitudinal Relation Of Dietary Quality And Hemoglobin A1c In Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes, Hope Bercaw

Theses and Dissertations

Background Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a clinical measure of glycemic control among people with diabetes and is associated with health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease. It is possible to decrease HbA1c by improving diet, but it is largely unknown which dietary components are most important in targeting glycemic control.

Objective This study aims to examine whether changes in diet quality across diabetes duration, assessed with the 2015-Healthy Eating Index (HEI), are associated with HbA1c in youth and young adults (YYA) with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Additionally, we aim to assess whether these relationships differ when dietary …

For Every Rat Killed, Etienne C. Toussaint

Faculty Publications

If my grandmother had survived the sickness of old age and were alive to witness the economic injustices wrought by capitalist culture, what would she think? If my grandmother were alive to observe familiar technologies for exterminating household pests—surveil-lance, capture, imprisonment, disposal—being increasingly aimed toward low-income Black communities, what would she believe? If my grandmother were alive to discover, in the palm of her hands, a digital platform for spreading information (and misinformation) to the masses and painting new futures into the minds of lawmakers and politicians, what would she say?

Studies have shown that low-income individuals are more likely …

Cross-Omics Analysis Of Fenugreek Supplementation Reveals Beneficial Effects Are Caused By Gut Microbiome Changes Not Mammalian Host Physiology, Katarina A. Jones, Allison J. Richard, J Michael Salbaum, Susan Newman Phd, Rn, Crrn, Faan, Richard Carmouche, Sara Webb, Annadora J. Bruce-Keller, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Shawn R. Campagna

Publications

Herbal remedies are increasing in popularity as treatments for metabolic conditions such as obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. One potential therapeutic option is fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum), which have been used for treating high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. A proposed mechanism for these benefits is through alterations in the microbiome, which impact mammalian host metabolic function. This study used untargeted metabolomics to investigate the fenugreek-induced alterations in the intestinal, liver, and serum profiles of mice fed either a 60% high-fat or low-fat control diet each with or without fenugreek supplementation (2% w/w) for 14 weeks. Metagenomic analyses of intestinal …

Cross-Omics Analysis Of Fenugreek Supplementation Reveals Beneficial Effects Are Caused By Gut Microbiome Changes Not Mammalian Host Physiology, Katarina A. Jones, Allison J. Richard, J Michael Salbaum, Susan Newman Phd, Rn, Crrn, Faan, Richard Carmouche, Sara Webb, Annadora J. Bruce-Keller, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Shawn R. Campagna

Publications

Herbal remedies are increasing in popularity as treatments for metabolic conditions such as obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. One potential therapeutic option is fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum), which have been used for treating high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. A proposed mechanism for these benefits is through alterations in the microbiome, which impact mammalian host metabolic function. This study used untargeted metabolomics to investigate the fenugreek-induced alterations in the intestinal, liver, and serum profiles of mice fed either a 60% high-fat or low-fat control diet each with or without fenugreek supplementation (2% w/w) for 14 weeks. Metagenomic analyses of intestinal …

Translation Of Policy For Reducing Undernutrition From National To Sub-National Levels In Rwanda, Elyse Iruhiriye, Deanna K. Olney, Edward A. Frongillo, Emmanuel Niyongira, Simeon Nanama, Eugene Rwibasira, Paul Mbonyi, Christine E. Blake

Faculty Publications

Understanding how countries improve children’s nutrition can inform policies and contribute to further improvements. We examined the relationship between improvements in nutrition in Rwanda (1992–2017) and political commitment to- and policy coherence in- nutrition. We reviewed nutrition-relevant Rwandan policies and programs (2000–2018) and conducted 90 semi-structured interviews with national (n = 32), mid-level (n = 38), and community (n = 20) nutrition stakeholders and 40 community-level focus group discussions (FGDs). FGDs and sub-national interviews were conducted in ten purposefully selected districts, five each in which stunting decreased (reduced) and increased or stagnated (non-reduced) between the 2010 and 2014/15 Rwanda Demographic …

Television Viewing Time And All-Cause Mortality: Interactions With Bmi, Physical Activity, Smoking, And Dietary Factors, Christopher T. Swain, Julie K. Bassett, Allison M. Hodge, David W. Dunstan, Neville Owen, Yi Yang, Harindra Jayasekara, James R. Hébert Scd, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Robert J. Macinnis, Roger L. Milne, Dallas R. English, Brigid M. Lynch

Faculty Publications

Background Higher levels of time spent sitting (sedentary behavior) contribute to adverse health outcomes, including earlier death. This effect may be modified by other lifestyle factors. We examined the association of television viewing (TV), a common leisure-time sedentary behavior, with all-cause mortality, and whether this is modified by body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, soft drink consumption, or diet-associated inflammation. Methods Using data from participants in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, flexible parametric survival models assessed the time-dependent association of self-reported TV time (three categories: < 2 h/day, 2-3 h/day, > 3 h/day) with all-cause mortality. Interaction terms were fitted to test whether …

A Qualitative Report Of The Perceptions Of The Covid-19 Pandemic From Collegiate Student-Athletes, Dylan C. Rowe, Zachary K. Winkelmann Phd, Lat, Atc, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Michelle Angelique Arent Rd, Mph, Cscs, Cissn, Alexa Jenny Chandler, Nancy A. Uriegas, Toni Torres-Mcgehee Phd, Lat, Atc

Faculty Publications

Context

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an abrupt disruption in access to services and personnel for collegiate student-athletes in the spring and summer of 2020. We sought to identify the effects of this unprecedented change by examining the psychological well-being, changes to normal routines, and return-to-play considerations of current student-athletes in order to guide support for both current and future student-athletes who may face similar situations. Methods

We utilized a phenomenological approach to interview a purposeful sample of eighteen collegiate student-athletes (7 males, 11 females; mean age = 20 years) from across the United States. The participants were interviewed using …

Refugee Food Insecurity & Technology: Surfacing Experiences Of Adaptation, Navigation, Negotiation And Sharing, Reem Talhouk, Kyle Montague, Hala Ghattas, Vera Araujo-Soares, Balsam Ahmad, Madeline Balaam

Faculty Publications

With the Syrian crisis still ongoing, 91% of Syrian refugee families in Lebanon do not have adequate access to safe and sufficient food. There has been a drive for technological innovation in humanitarian food assistance. To further inform such innovation, we used an Experience-Centred Design approach to gain a holistic understanding of the experiences of refugee food insecurity and how refugees envision technologies can support them. Design engagements with 13 women in an informal refugee settlement in Lebanon were conducted. The findings presented in this paper highlight that coping with food insecurity consists of experiences of adaptation, navigation, negotiation and …

The Faith, Activity, And Nutrition (Fan) Dissemination And Implementation Study: Changes In And Maintenance Of Organizational Practices Over 24 Months In A Statewide Initiative, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Kelsey R. Day, Ruth P. Saunders, Danielle E. Jake-Schoffman, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Jessica Stucker, Caroline G. Dunn, John Bernhart Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Few studies have examined the impact of ecological health promotion interventions on organizational practices over time, especially in faith-based settings. This statewide dissemination and implementation study examined change in organizational practices and their predictors across a 24-month period, as well as maintenance of change.

Methods

Using a pre-post quasi-experimental design, church coordinators from 92 United Methodist Churches in South Carolina (42% predominantly African American congregations) completed surveys at baseline, and immediate, 12-, and 24-months post-training regarding physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) organizational practices consistent with the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program (opportunities, policies, pastor support, messages) …

Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years Of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, And Disability-Adjusted Life Years For 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 To 2019 A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Jonathan M. Kocarnik, Kelly Compton, Frances E. Dean, Weijia Fu, Brian L. Gaw, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Importance The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden.

Objective To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019.

Evidence Review The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite …

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2021 Meeting Highlights, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Kathryn Foti, Anika L. Hines, Debora Kamin Mukaz, Hyunju Kim, Samantha Martin, Anum Minhas, Faye L. Norby, Oluwabunmi Ogungbe, Alexander C. Razavi, Mary R. Rooney, Elisabeth L.P. Sattler, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Alvin G. Thomas, Curtis Tilves, Amelia S. Wallace, Frances M. Wang, Mingyu Zhang, Pamela L. Lutsey, Kristie J. Lancaster

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Association Of Biological Maturation With Physical Activity Behaviors In Girls Transitioning From 5th To 7th Grade, Russell R. Pate, Marsha Dowda Ph.D., Rod L. Dishman, Joseph Gorab, Agnes Bucko, Ruth P. Saunders Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction

This longitudinal study determined if social cognitive variables influence physical activity in girls stratified on the basis of maturity status.

Methods

Participants attended South Carolina public schools (Mage in 5th grade = 11.1 years) and included a cohort of 529 girls who provided physical activity data in the 5th grade and in 6th and/or 7th grade. The measure of maturity status was age at peak height velocity (APHV) estimated from maturity offset when the children were in the 5th grade. The Earlier Maturity (EM) group included girls whose APHV was one standard deviation or more below the mean APHV …

Neural Correlates Of Inhibitory Control And Associations With Cognitive Outcomes In Bangladeshi Children Exposed To Early Adversities, Eileen F. Sullivan, Wanze Xie, Stefania Conte, John E. Richards, Talat Shama, Rashidul Haque, William A. Petri, Charles A. Nelson

Faculty Publications

There is strong support for the view that children growing up in low-income homes typically evince poorer performance on tests of inhibitory control compared to those growing up in higher income homes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the work documenting this association has been conducted in high-income countries. It is not yet known whether the mechanisms found to mediate this association would generalize to children in low- and middle-income countries, where the risks of exposure to extreme poverty and a wide range of both biological and psychosocial hazards may be greater. We examined relations among early adversity, neural correlates of …

The Ability Of Resveratrol To Attenuate Ovalbumin-Mediated Allergic Asthma Is Associated With Changes In Microbiota Involving The Gut-Lung Axis, Enhanced Barrier Function And Decreased Inflammation In The Lungs, Prakash Nagarkatti, Esraah Alharris, Hasan Alghetaa, Juhua Zhou, Mitzi Nagarkatti

Faculty Publications

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease highly prevalent worldwide. Recent studies have suggested a role for microbiome-associated gut–lung axis in asthma development. In the current study, we investigated if Resveratrol (RES), a plant-based polyphenol, can attenuate ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine allergic asthma, and if so, the role of microbiome in the gut–lung axis in this process. We found that RES attenuated allergic asthma with significant improvements in pulmonary functions in OVA-exposed mice when tested using plethysmography for frequency (F), mean volume (MV), specific airway resistance (sRaw), and delay time(dT). RES treatment also suppressed inflammatory cytokines in the lungs. RES modulated lung …

Diet Quality Scores And Cardiometabolic Risk Factors In Mexican Children And Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis, Abeer Ali Aljahdali, Karen E. Peterson, Alejandra Cantoral, Edward Ruiz-Narvaez, Martha M. Tellez-Rojo, Hyungjin Myra Kim, James R. Hébert Scd, Michael David Wirth Msph, Phd, Face, Libni A. Torres-Olascoaga, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Ana Baylin

Faculty Publications

There is limited evidence for the effects of diet on cardiometabolic profiles during the pubertal transition. We collected repeated measures of diet quality and cardiometabolic risk factors among Mexican youth. This analysis included 574 offspring of the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) birth cohort followed up to three time points. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMedDiet), and Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII^TM) scores were computed from food frequency questionnaires. Higher DASH and aMedDiet scores reflect a higher diet quality, and lower C-DII scores reflect an anti-inflammatory diet. Cardiometabolic risk factors …

Patients With Obesity And A History Of Metformin Treatment Have Lower Influenza Mortality: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Tammy H. Cummings, Joseph Magagnoli Ph.D., Ms, James W. Hardin, S. Scott Sutton

Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for the development of influenza by leading to a chronic inflammatory state and T-cell dysfunction. Based upon preclinical research, metformin has influenza activity by restoring T-cell function and improving the immune response. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the potential drug repurposing of metformin for the management of influenza among patients with obesity utilizing national claims data in an electronic health record database. Methods: The VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) was utilized to obtain individual-level information on demographics, administrative claims, and pharmacy dispensation. A cohort was created among individuals with laboratory confirmed diagnosis of …

Does A School Snack Make A Difference? An Evaluation Of The World Food Programme Emergency School Feeding Programme In Lebanon Among Lebanese And Syrian Refugee Children, Zeina Jamaluddine, Chaza Akik, Gloria Safadi, Sara Abou Fakher, Nehmat El-Helou, Soha Moussa, Dominique Anid, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate the effects of providing a daily healthy school snack on children's nutritional, social and educational outcomes and explore stakeholders' perceptions of an emergency school feeding programme (SFP). Design: Convergence triangulation mixed-methods study design. Associations were examined between receiving the school feeding intervention and children's outcomes using multivariable regression models. Quantitative data were complemented with interviews and focus group discussions with parents and staff. Setting: In vulnerable communities in Lebanon, the World Food Programme has implemented an emergency SFP targeting Lebanese (attending morning sessions) and Syrian refugee children (attending afternoon sessions) in public schools. Participants: Children from ten …

Foods And Beverages Provided In Out Of School Hours Care Services: An Observational Study, Ruth K. Crowe, Yasmine C. Probst, Jennifer A. Norman, Susan E. Furber, Rebecca M. Stanley, Sarah T. Ryan, Cecilia Vuong, Megan L. Hammersley, Karen Wardle, Lisa Franco, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Robert Weaver Med, Phd, Marc Davis, Christine Innes-Hughes, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Out of school hours care (OSHC) is a fastgrowing childcare setting in Australia, however the types of foods and beverages ofered are relatively unknown. This study describes the food and beverages ofered and inves‑ tigates sectorlevel and settinglevel factors which may impact OSHC in meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). Methods: This crosssectional, observational study was conducted in 89 OSHC services (between 2018 and 2019). Food and beverages ofered, kitchen facilities and menus were captured via direct observation. Foods were cat‑ egorised into fve food groups or discretionary foods, based on the ADG, and frequencies determined. Short inter‑ views …