Digital Commons Network^™

Prior Exposure To Corticosterone Markedly Enhances And Prolongs The Neuroinflammatory Response To Systemic Challenge With Lps, Kimberly A. Kelly, Lindsay T. Michalovicz, Julie V. Miller, Vincent Castranova, Diane B. Miller, James P. O'Callaghan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Systemic exposure to the inflammagen and bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been widely used to evaluate inflammation and sickness behavior. While many inflam- matory conditions occur in the periphery, it is well established that peripheral inflammation can affect the brain. Neuroinflammation, the elaboration of proinflammatory mediators in the CNS, commonly is associated with behavioral symptoms (e.g., lethargy, anhedonia, anorexia, depression, etc.) termed sickness behavior. Stressors have been shown to inter- act with and alter neuroinflammatory responses and associated behaviors. Here, we exam- ined the effects of the stress hormone, corticosterone (CORT), as a stressor mimic, on neuroinflammation induced with a …

Perfluoroalkyl Substances And Kidney Function In Chronic Kidney Disease, Anemia, And Diabetes, Baqiyyah N. Conway, Ashley N. Badders, Tina Costacou, John M. Arthur, Kim E. Innes

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Anemia often complicates chronic kidney disease (CKD), leading to insufficient tissue oxygenation and hypoxic injury, the factor thought to underlie progression from CKD to renal failure. Perfluorocarbons are potent oxygen transporters used in organ preservation and synthetic blood development. Data are scarce on their relationship with kidney function, especially in diabetes where anemia and hypoxia are more prevalent. We investigated the relationship of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAS) with kidney function and variation by diabetes and anemia status.

Methods: Data on 53,650 adults (5,210 with diabetes) were obtained from the C8 Health Project. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration …

Vegetarian Diet And Cardiometabolic Risk Among Asian Indians In The United States, Ranjita Misra, Padmini Balagopal, Sudha Raj, Thakor G. Patel

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Research studies have shown that plant-based diets confer cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits. Asian Indians (AIs) in the US (who have often followed plant-based diets) have elevated risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity suggesting ethnic vulnerability that imply genetic and/or lifestyle causative links. This study explored the association between this ethnic group and diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome after controlling for demographics, acculturation, family history of diabetes, and lifestyle and clinical risk factors. The sample comprised of 1038 randomly selected adult AIs in seven US sites. Prevalence and metabolic syndrome was estimated, and obesity was …

A Comparison Study Of Quality Attributes Of Ground Beef And Veal Patties And Thermal Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 After Double Pan-Broiling Under Dynamic Conditions, Kawang Li, Amanda Gip Mckeith, Cangliang Shen, Russell Mckeith

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This study compared the quality variation and thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in non-intact beef and veal. Coarse ground beef and veal patties (2.1 cm thick, 12.4 cm diameter, 180 g) inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, aerobically stored before double pan-broiling for 0–360 s without rest or to 55, 62.5, 71.1, and 76 ◦C (internal temperature) with 0.5- or 3.5-min rest. Microbial population and qualities including color, cooking losses, pH, water activity, fat, and moisture content, were tested. After cooking the beef and veal patties, the weight losses were 17.83–29%, the pH increased from 5.53–5.60 to 5.74–6.09, the moisture …

Combining Semi-Synthesis With Plant And Microbial Biocatalysis: New Frontiers In Producing A Chemical Arsenal Against Cancer†, Samuel Gary, Janet Adegboye, Brian Popp, Jean-Christophe Cocuron, Brooklyn Woodrum, Nik Kovinich

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Natural products (NPs) that exhibit anticancer activities are frequently not potent enough to be used clinically as therapeutics. Semi-synthesis and metabolic engineering are promising approaches for producing more efficacious derivatives of anticancer NPs (ACNPs), but each technique alone can be inefficient at obtaining specific ACNP derivatives that may be suspected to have enhanced anticancer activity. Here, we demonstrate that the methods of semi-synthesis and biocatalysis can be used as modules in succession and in different combinations to produce 6,8-dibromogenkwanin, a derivative of the ACNP apigenin. Further, we demonstrated that soybean seed coats can be used as a biocatalyst to convert …

Estimating Taxon-Specific Population Dynamics In Diverse Microbial Communities, Benjamin J. Koch, Theresa A. Mchugh, Michaela Hayer, Egbert Schwartz, Steven J. Blazewicz, Paul Dijkstra, Natasja Van Gestel, Jane C. Marks, Rebecca L. Mau, Ember M. Morrissey, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Bruce A. Hungate

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Understanding how population-level dynamics contribute to ecosystem-level processes is a primary focus of ecological research and has led to important breakthroughs in the ecology of macroscopic organisms. However, the inability to measure population-specific rates, such as growth, for microbial taxa within natural assemblages has limited ecologists’ understanding of how microbial populations interact to regulate ecosystem processes. Here, we use isotope incorporation within DNA molecules to model taxon- specific population growth in the presence of 18O-labeled water. By applying this model to phylogenetic marker sequencing data collected from stable-isotope probing studies, we estimate rates of growth, mortal- ity, and turnover for …

Total Sulfane Sulfur Bioavailability Reflects Ethnic And Gender Disparities In Cardiovascular Disease, Saurabh Rajpal, Pavan Katikaneni, Matthew Deshotels, Sibile Pardue, John Glawe, Xinggui Shen, Nuri Akkus, Kalgi Modi, Ruchi Bhandari, Paari Dominic, Pratap Reddy, Gopi K. Kolluru, Christopher G. Kevil

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as an important physiological and pathophysiological signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system influencing vascular tone, cytoprotective responses, redox reactions, vascular adap- tation, and mitochondrial respiration. However, bioavailable levels of H2S in its various biochemical metabolite forms during clinical cardiovascular disease remain poorly understood. We performed a case-controlled study to quantify and compare the bioavailability of various biochemical forms of H2S in patients with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD). In our study, we used the reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography monobromobimane assay to analytically measure bioavailable pools of H2S. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also identified …

Dysregulation Of Daf-16/Foxo3a-Mediated Stress Responses Accelerates T Oxidative Dna Damage Induced Aging, Aditi U. Gurkar, Andria R. Robinson, Yuxiang Cui, Xuesen Li, Shailaja K. Allani, Amanda Webster, Mariya Muravia, Mohammad Fallahi, Herbert Weissbach, Paul D. Robbins, Yinsheng Wang, Eric E. Kelley, Claudette M. St. Croix, Laura J. Niedernhofer, Matthew S. Gill

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

DNA damage is presumed to be one type of stochastic macromolecular damage that contributes to aging, yet little is known about the precise mechanism by which DNA damage drives aging. Here, we attempt to address this gap in knowledge using DNA repair-deficient C. elegans and mice. ERCC1-XPF is a nuclear endonuclease required for genomic stability and loss of ERCC1 in humans and mice accelerates the incidence of age-related pathologies. Like mice, ercc-1 worms are UV sensitive, shorter lived, display premature functional decline and they accumulate spontaneous oxidative DNA lesions (cyclopurines) more rapidly than wild-type worms. We found that ercc-1 worms …

Assessment Of A Mouse Xenograft Model Of Primary Colorectal Cancer With Special Reference To Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, Jeffrey H. Wimsatt, Caitlin Montgomery, Laurel S. Thomas, Charity Savard, Rachel Tallman, Kim Innes, Nezar Jrebi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Colorectal cancer ranks third among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. Current therapies have a range of side effects, and the development of a reliable animal model to speed the discovery of safe effective preventative therapies would be of great value. A cross-sectional study in a large Appalachian population recently showed an association between low circulating levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and a reduced prevalence of colorectal cancer. A study using APCmin(C57BL/6J-ApcMin/J) mice prone to familial adenomatous polyposis found PFOS was protective when exposure occurred during tumor development. To test the possible benefit of PFOS on spontaneous …

Genetic Assessment Of Inbred Chicken Lines Indicates Genomic Signatures Of Resistance To Marek's Disease, Lingyang Xu, Yanghua He, George E. Liu, Huanmin Zhang, Hans H. Cheng, Robert L. Taylor Jr, Jiuzhou Song

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Marek’s disease (MD) is a highly contagious pathogenic and oncogenic disease primarily affecting chickens. However, the mechanisms of genetic resistance for MD are complex and not fully understood. MD-resistant line 63 and MD-susceptible line 72 are two highly inbred progenitor lines of White Leghorn. Recombinant Congenic Strains (RCS) were developed from these two lines, which show varied susceptibility to MD.

Results: We investigated genetic structure and genomic signatures across the genome, including the line 63 and line 72, six RCSs, and two reciprocally crossed flocks between the lines 63 and 72 (F1 63 × 72 and F1 72 × …

Metabolic And Transcriptional Modules Independently Diversify Plasma Cell Lifespan And Function, Wing Y. Lam, Arijita Jash, Cong-Hui Yao, Lucas D'Souza, Rachel Wong, Ryan M. Nunley, Gordon P. Meares, Gary J. Patti, Deepta Bhattacharya

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Plasma cell survival and the consequent duration of immunity vary widely with infection or vaccination. Using fluorescent glucose analog uptake, we defined multiple developmentally independent mouse plasma cell populations with varying life- spans. Long-lived plasma cells imported more fluo- rescent glucose analog, expressed higher surface levels of the amino acid transporter CD98, and had more autophagosome mass than did short-lived cells. Low amino acid concentrations triggered re- ductions in both antibody secretion and mitochon- drial respiration, especially by short-lived plasma cells. To explain these observations, we found that glutamine was used for both mitochondrial respira- tion and anaplerotic reactions, yielding …

Structure Of The Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Mycangia Revealed Through Micro-Computed Tomography, You Li, Yongying Ruan, Matthew T. Kasson, Edward L. Stanley, Conrad P.D.T Gillett, Andrew J. Johnson, Mengna Zhang, Jiri Hulcr

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) rely on a symbiosis with fungi for their nutrition. Symbiotic fungi are preserved and transported in specialized storage structures called mycangia. Although pivotal in the symbiosis, mycangia have been notoriously difficult to study, given their minute size and membranous structure. We compared the application of novel visualization methods for the study of mycangia, namely micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and laser ablation tomography (LATscan) with traditional paraffin sectioning. Micro-CT scanning has shown the greatest promise in new organ discovery, while sectioning remains the only method with sufficient resolution for cellular visualization. All three common types …

Farnesylation Of The Transducin G Protein Gamma Subunit Is A Prerequisite For Its Ciliary Targeting In Rod Photoreceptors, Celine Brooks, Joseph Murphy, Marycharmain Belcastro, Daniel Heller, Saravanan Kolandaivelu, Oleg Kisselev, Maxim Sokolov

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Primary cilia are microtubule-based organelles, which protrude from the plasma membrane and receive a wide range of extracellular signals. Various cilia use G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for the detection of these signals. For instance, vertebrate rod photoreceptors use their cilia (also called outer segments) as antennae detecting photons by GPCR rhodopsin. Rhodopsin recognizes incoming light and activates its G protein, transducin, which is composed of three subunits α, β, and γ. Similar to all G protein γ subunits, the transducin Gγ1 subunit undergoes C-terminal prenylation resulting in the addition of an isoprenoid farnesyl; however, the significance of this posttranslational modification …

Photoluminescence Mechanism And Applications Of Zn-Doped Carbon Dots, Quan Xu, Wei Cai, Miaoran Zhang, Yingchun Ye, Yeqing Li, Lipeng Zhang, Yongjian Guo, Zhiqiang Yu, Siyu Li, Xun Lin, Yusheng Chen, Yan Lou, Jason Street, Meng Xu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Heteroatom-doped carbon dots (CDs) with excellent optical characteristics and negligible toxicity have emerged in many applications including bioimaging, biosensing, photocatalysis, and photothermal therapy. The metal-doping of CDs using various heteroatoms results in an enhancement of the photophysics but also imparts them with multifunctionality. However, unlike nonmetal doping, typical metal doping results in low fluorescence quantum yields (QYs), and an unclear photoluminescence mechanism. In this contribution, we detail results concerning zinc doped CDs (Zn-CDs) with QYs of up to 35%. The zinc ion charges serve as a surface passivating agent and prevent the aggregation of graphene p–p stacking, leading to an …

Spontaneous Dna Damage To The Nuclear Genome Promotes Senescence, T Redox Imbalance And Aging, Andria R. Robinson, Matthew J. Yousefzadeh, Tania A. Rozgaja, Jin Wang, Xuesen Li, Jeremy S. Tilstra, Chelsea H. Feldman, Siobhan Q. Gregg, Caroline H. Johnson, Erin M. Skoda, Marie-Celine Frantz, Harris Bell-Temin, Hannah Pope-Varsalona, Aditi U. Gurkar, Luigi A. Nasto, Rena A.S. Robinson, Heike Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg, Jolanta Czerwinska, Sara J. Mcgowan, Nadiezhda Cantu-Madellin, Jamie B. Harris, Salony Maniar, Mark A. Ross, Christy E. Trussoni, Nicholas F. Larusso, Eugenia Cifuentes-Pagano, Patrick J. Pagano, Barbara Tudek, Nam V. Vo, Lora H. Rigatti, Patricia L. Opresko, Donna B. Stolz, Simon C. Watkins, Christin E. Burd, Claudette M. St, Croix, Gary Siuzdak, Nathan A. Yates, Paul D. Robbins, Yinsheng Wang, Peter Wipf, Eric E. Kelley, Laura J. Neidernhofer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Accumulation of senescent cells over time contributes to aging and age-related diseases. However, what drives senescence in vivo is not clear. Here we used a genetic approach to determine if spontaneous nuclear DNA damage is sufficient to initiate senescence in mammals. Ercc1-/Δ mice with reduced expression of ERCC1-XPF endonuclease have impaired capacity to repair the nuclear genome. Ercc1-/Δ mice accumulated spontaneous, oxidative DNA damage more rapidly than wild-type (WT) mice. As a consequence, senescent cells accumulated more rapidly in Ercc1-/Δ mice compared to repair-competent animals. However, the levels of DNA damage and senescent cells in Ercc1-/Δ mice never exceeded that …

The Effect Of Icook 4-H, A Childhood Obesity Prevention Program, On Blood Pressure And Quality Of Life In Youth And Adults: A Randomized Control Trial, Melissa D. Olfert, Oluremi A. Famodu, Sue M. Flanagan, E Smith, M. P. Leary, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, J. A. White, M. M. Koenings, Sarah E. Colby, Kendra Kattelmann, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Adrienne White

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective: Obesity increases the risk of developing hypertension and from population-based samples with estimations that of 2-4% of the U.S. pediatric population has hypertension, which may affect quality of life. This study examined the effects of an obesity prevention program on blood pressure and quality of life in youth and adult participants.
Methods: A multi-state research team recruited treatment dyads (youth and their adult meal preparer) to participate in a 12-week randomized control trial and follow-up through 24 months. The treatment group received a cooking and physical activity intervention, followed by booster sessions and mailed newsletters over the remaining two-year …

Shortening Of The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Survey Using Factor Analysis, Oluremi A. Famodu, Makenzie L. Barr, Ida Holaskova, Wenjun Zhou, Jesse S. Morrell, Sarah E. Colby, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective/Introduction. Lengthy surveys have the potential to burden users and can lead to inaccuracies. Conducting analyses to shorten existing validated surveys is beneficial. The objective, therefore, was to shorten the Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI) for young adults. Methods. PSQI data from 1246 college students were used. An exploratory factor analysis (FA) was utilized to shorten survey after dropping select items. Nonparametric correlation analysis (Spearman’s rho) was conducted between the global sleep scores of the shortened and original surveys. Agreements tests (Kappa and McNemar’s test) measured the agreement of the surveys and sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. Results. Six factors …

Wish4campus: Local And Regional Investigation Of Food Insecurity And Associated Behavioral Characteristics Among College Students, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Teens Implementing A Childhood Obesity Prevention Program In The Community: Feasibility And Perceptions Of A Partnership With Hsta And Icook 4-H, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Jade A. White, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah E. Colby, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Adrienne A. White, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

High school student researchers and teen leaders from the Health Science Technology Academy (HSTA), under the supervision of HSTA teachers, led a childhood obesity prevention (COP) program (iCook 4-H). The objective was to evaluate the feasibility and perceptions of having teen leaders implement a COP program for dyads of youth (9–10 years old) and their primary adult food preparer. Behavior change and perceptions were assessed through surveys and open-ended interviews. Across eight HSTA organizations, 43 teen leaders participated in teaching the iCook 4-H program to 24 dyads. Increased frequency of culinary skills, physical activity and mealtime behavior were reported by …

Vegetarian Diets And The Risk Of Diabetes, Melissa D. Olfert, Rachel A. Wattick

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Purpose of Review

Worldwide, diabetes has increased steadily and in recent years, drastically. The majority of diabetes cases are type 2 (T2DM), caused by modifiable risk factors such as diet. Vegetarian diets have been studied over the past few decades for their preventative and therapeutic effects on diabetes and may be more beneficial than medication for diabetes management.

Recent Findings

A vegetarian diet characterized by whole plant foods is most beneficial for diabetes prevention and management.

Summary

Vegetarian diets are inversely associated with risk of developing diabetes independent of the positive association of meat consumption with diabetes development. Vegetarian diets …

A Community Based Participatory Approach To Training Young Adults To Design And Implement A Social Marketing Framed Lifestyle Intervention On Their College Campus, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Kristin Riggsbee, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Krista Leischner, Anne E. Matthews, Melissa Vilaro, Sarah E. Colby

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach may increase the likelihood of relevance and acceptability of the designed intervention, especially on a college campus. Furthermore, recruiting and training college students to design a social marketing framed healthy lifestyle intervention for their peers will allow the intervention to be tailored to the needs of the campus. Objectives: To describe the process of online-course training college students to develop a campus-based, social marketing health promotion intervention. Methods: Four universities recruited current college students (18+ y.o.) to develop a social marketing and environmental intervention (SMEI), which was completed during a 16-week, online/in-person …

Health Disparities Score Composite Of Youth And Parent Dyads From An Obesity Prevention Intervention: Icook 4-H, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Lisa Franzzen-Castle, Sarah E. Colby, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Adrienne A. White

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

iCook 4-H is a lifestyle intervention to improve diet, physical activity and mealtime behavior. Control and treatment dyads (adult primary meal preparer and a 9–10-year-old youth) completed surveys at baseline and 4, 12, and 24 months. A Health Disparity (HD) score composite was developed utilizing a series of 12 questions (maximum score = 12 with a higher score indicating a more severe health disparity). Questions came from the USDA short form U.S. Household Food Security Survey (5), participation in food assistance programs (1), food behavior (2), level of adult education completed (1), marital status (1), and race (1 adult and …

Katalyst Pilot Study: Using Interactive Activities In Anatomy And Physiology To Teach Children The Scientific Foundation Of Healthy Lifestyles, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Kathryn Baker, Sara E. Dejarnett, Tyler Hendricks, Melissa Mcgowan, Lauren Joseph, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This pilot study evaluated the impact of the Katalyst curriculum, a fifth-grade experiential learning program, on students’ knowledge of a healthy lifestyle’s impact on body functions. Katalyst’s interactive curriculum spans two days and includes four, 60-min stations on body systems: cardiovascular/endocrine, gastrointestinal, neurological, and respiratory/musculoskeletal. Three schools were recruited, and two schools completed the intervention sessions. Prior to beginning the stations, fifth-grade students completed a 37-item questionnaire to assess knowledge and perceptions. Students completed the same survey at the end of the Katalyst intervention. Teachers at the school also completed a survey post intervention to provide feedback on the program. …

Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence In Students Attending West Virginia University, Melissa D. Olfert, Amanda Dent, Rachel A. Wattick

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Few studies have investigated the MetS risk of young adults (18–24 years old). This study aims to determine the prevalence of MetS in Appalachian and non-Appalachian students attending West Virginia University. The prevalence of MetS in this population was 15%. There was no difference in MetS prevalence between male students and female students (18.8% males and 11.1% females, p-value = 0.30), or between Appalachian students and non-Appalachian students (17.7% Appalachian and 10.0% non-Appalachian, p-value = 0.33). Identification of MetS early in life is …

Correlations Of Self-Reported Androgen Deficiency In Ageing Males (Adam) With Stress And Sleep Among Young Adult Males, Camille M. Charlier, Sarah E. Colby, Geoffrey W. Greene, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Abstract: Androgen deficiency in males has traditionally been predominantly limited to older men aged 50+ years. However, little is known of the correlation between hormonal disruption, stress, and sleep in college-aged males. This cross-sectional study investigates lifestyle behavior patterns in young men and a screening for potential androgen deficiency. A survey of 409 male students, as part of a larger USDA-funded GetFruved study, was analyzed for this subproject. Survey instruments used include the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male Questionnaire (ADAM) to assess for inadequate ADAM scores, the Perceived Stress Scale to measure stress levels and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality …

Development And Validation Of A Simple Convenience Store Shelf Audit, Tanya M. Horacek, Elif Dede Yildrim, Erin Kelly, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Kristin Riggsbee, Melissa D. Olfert, Jesse Stabile Morrell, Anne E. Mathews, Terezie T. Mosby, Tandalayo Kidd, Kendra Kattelmann, Geoffrey Greene, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah Colby, Carol Bryd- Bredbenner, Onikia Brown

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background This paper describes the development, reliability, and convergent validity of a practical tool—the Convenience Store Supportive Healthy Environment for Life-Promoting Food (SHELF) Audit. Methods Audit items included: a variety of fresh, processed, and frozen fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy products; healthy staples and frozen meals; healthy food incentive programs; items sold in check-out areas; portion/cup sizes; and pricing. Each audit item was scored using a five-point semantic-differential scale (1 = provides little or no support for healthful foods to 5 = provides high support for healthful foods). Convergent validity was examined by comparing the SHELF audit to Ghirardelli et …

Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling Of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, Bmi, And The Healthfulness Of Convenience Stores, Tanya Horacek, Elif Dede Yildirim, Kendra Kattelmann, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Onikia Brown, Sarah Colby, Geoffrey Greene, Sharon Hoerr, Tandalayo Kidd, Mallory Koenings, Jesse Morrell, Melissa D. Olfert, Beatrice Phillips, Karla Shelnutt, Adrienne White

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: When dietary behaviors are habitual, intentions are low, and environmental cues, such as the consumer food environment, might guide behavior. How might intentions to eat healthily and ultimately actual dietary behaviors, be influenced by the consumer food environment (including the availability and affordability of healthy foods) in convenience stores? This study will determine pathways between the healthfulness of convenience stores and college students’ dietary intentions/behaviors, and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Through multilevel structural equation modeling, a comparison was made of students’ healthful meal intentions (HMI); intake (fruits/vegetables, %kcal/fat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and whole-grains); and measured BMI; as well …

Health Behaviors Of Student Community Research Partners When Designing And Implementing A Healthy Lifestyle Intervention On College Campuses, Makenzie L. Barr, Sarah E. Colby, Kristin Riggsbee, Anne E. Mathews, Melissa J. Vilaro, Kendra K. Kattlemann, Melissa D. Olfert

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Few studies work with college students as equal partners in all aspects of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and even less evaluate behaviors of those college partners. The current study aimed to examine health behaviors of students by designing and implementing a peer-led, social marketing campaign (Get Fruved) to promote healthier lifestyles on their campuses. Enrolled students (n = 376) were trained to either design and implement a health promotion intervention (Social Marketing and Environmental Interventionists; SMEI, n = 78), be peer mentors (PM; n = 205), or serve as control participants (n = 93). Students’ behaviors (dietary, activity, and stress) …

Self-Reported Vs. Measured Height, Weight, And Bmi In Young Adults, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Camille M. Charlier, Oluremi A. Famodu, Wenjun Zhou, Anne E. Mathews, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Sarah E. Colby

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Self-reported height and weight, if accurate, provide a simple and economical method to track changes in body weight over time. Literature suggests adults tend to under-report their own weight and that the gap between self-reported weight and actual weight increases with obesity. This study investigates the extent of discrepancy in self-reported height, weight, and subsequent Body Mass Index (BMI) versus actual measurements in young adults. Physically measured and self-reported height and weight were taken from 1562 students. Male students marginally overestimated height, while females were closer to target. Males, on average, closely self-reported weight. Self-reported anthropometrics remained statistically correlated to …

Eb4cast: An Evidence-Based Tool To Promote Dissemination And Implementation In Community-Based, Public Health Research, Melissa D. Olfert, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Makenzie L. Barr, Oluremi A. Famodu, Jessica M. Rubino, Jade A. White

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

eB4CAST, evidence-Based forecast C-capture, A-assemble, S-sustain, T-timelessness (eB4CAST), framework was developed from existing dissemination and implementation (D & I) constructs as a dissemination tool to promote community-based program usability and future application in targeted populations. eB4CAST captures and transforms research findings into a dissemination report that shows program need and impact to endorse program continuation and expansion. This is achieved through direct and indirect data collection of community factors and program impact that can showcase the need for program sustainability and potential for future dissemination sites. Testimonials, individual feedback, and program process and outcomes contribute to the direct data while …