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An Assessment Of Dietetics And Nutrition Graduate Program Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Regarding The Subject Of Microplastics, Gabrielle M. Arnes

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Microplastics exist in every aspect of our lives, from the ground and ocean to food and clothing. It is becoming more and more evident that microplastics can have negative effects on the environment, human health and food safety. This study examined Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited graduate program (GP) students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards microplastics. An electronic survey was sent to ACEND GP program directors (n = 56) to forward to their GP students. Among the 30 students who completed the full survey, 83.3% had previously heard of microplastics. Although almost all participants had …

Engaging Older Adults In Local Nonprofit Nutrition Assistance Programs: Understanding Barriers And Exploring Opportunities For Improved Participation, Amber R. Godinsky

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Student Projects

The rapidly growing population of older adults in the United States is set to require a highly skilled and specialized healthcare response to control the threat of a public health crisis. Research on approaches to mitigation suggests the need for an emphasis on preventative measures such as health promotion and nutrition intervention to be used as vital tools in local communities. This case study on older adults residing within DeKalb County, Illinois offers insight into the accessibility of nonprofit nutritional assistance programs by providing a local snapshot of the barriers to participation in a preventative health resource. Methods of collecting …

Generating Personalized Pregnancy Nutrition Recommendations With Gpt-Powered Ai Chatbot. In: 20th International Conference On Information Systems For Crisis Response And Management, Chun-Hua Tsai, Sathvik Kadire, Tejesvi Sreeramdas, Matthew Vanormer, Melissa Thoene, Corrine Hanson, Ann Anderson Berry, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Low socioeconomic status (SES) and inadequate nutrition during pregnancy are linked to health disparities and adverse outcomes, including an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth restriction. AI-powered computational agents have enormous potential to address this challenge by providing nutrition guidelines or advice to patients with different health literacy and demographics. This paper presents our preliminary exploration of creating a GPT-powered AI chatbot called NutritionBot and investigates the implications for pregnancy nutrition recommendations. We used a user-centered design approach to define the target user persona and collaborated with medical professionals to co-design the chatbot. We integrated …

Food Insecurity Screening In People With Cystic Fibrosis, Rebecca Edwards, Lauren Tate, Ana Cairns, Cheryl Coyne, Kathleen Walker, Kim Violette, Ann Ladner, Jessica D'Amico

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Background: Adequate nutrition is a cornerstone in the management of cystic fibrosis (CF). Malabsorption secondary to pancreatic insufficiency and increased energy demands related to lung disease can increase energy requirements over twofold for a person with CF. Food insecurity (FI) affects approximately 10% of Mainers (1). Per the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, there may be up to a threefold increase in the prevalence of FI in the CF population (2). To address this issue, we implemented FI screening in the adult and pediatric CF programs to identify the prevalence of FI within our population and to offer immediate interventions.

Healthy Links – Addressing Social Determinants Of Health And Improving Cardiac Health With Medically Tailored Meals, Emily Follo, Katherine Sharp, Mylan Cohen

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• Social determinants of health (SDOH) strongly influence risk factors for cardiac disease, especially in rural areas

• Medically-tailored meals have shown promising results for reducing hospitalizations

• Some state insurance programs are covering medically-tailored meals given beneficial outcome studies

• This project builds upon prior Healthy Links programs to expand our reach to rural patients

Exploring The Food Parenting Practices Among Black Immigrant Mothers In Metro Atlanta, Ga, Phoebe Tchoua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Children of Black immigrant parents living in the US are at elevated risk of being overweight or obese, thus increasing their risks of morbidity and mortality as they age. Parents play a crucial role in shaping their children's nutrition through their food parenting practices, defined as behaviors or actions that affect the child's dietary habits. Three aims guided this study: (1) To examine food parenting practices among a sample of Black immigrant mothers living in Metro Atlanta using a modified Comprehensive Home Environment Survey (CHES); (2) To assess maternal knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, acculturation, and modeling in relation to …

Increasing Nutrition Education For Collegiate Athletes, Alexandra Diaz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

When collegiate athletes do not have nutritional education, they do not properly fuel their body for peak performance on the field and in the classroom. This can lead to disordered eating habits, muscle injuries, and mental health issues. When student- athletes have nutritional intervention and education, they can properly fuel their bodies resulting in faster muscle recovery, higher energy levels, as well as higher GPAs. Therefore, I have created a two-hour workshop on nutrition for the members of the CSUMB women’s soccer team.

Improving Health, Diet, & Nutritional Awareness Among The Veteran Population, Denise Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Veterans Transition Center of California (VTC) helps empower veterans that are experiencing homelessness by supporting them with resource connections to improve their health, financial, and housing status. Veterans suffer from poor health both physically and mentally for several reasons, however, having a poor nutritional diet is a common factor that results in critical medical conditions. The purpose of this project was to increase awareness of health, nutrition, and diet among veterans by creating a resource manual full of health-forward recipes using fresh and nutrient-rich ingredients. This manual became accessible to veterans through the VTC food pantry. Two veterans attended …

Increasing Third Grade Students' Awareness Of Healthy Nutrition, Daisy Cole

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The aim of this project is to increase awareness of healthy nutrition among third-grade students. In recent years, the number of children who suffer from obesity and related health problems has risen. Therefore, it is crucial to educate young students about healthy eating habits and the importance of a balanced diet. This project will utilize various teaching methods such as interactive activities, visual aids, and hands-on activities to engage students and provide a fun learning experience. By the end of the project, students will have gained the knowledge and practical skills that will enable them to make informed decisions about …

Vitamin D In The Prevention And Treatment Of Oral Cancer: A Scoping Review, Man Hung, Konstantinia Almpani, Bao Thao, Kaili Sudweeks, Martin S. Lipsky

Institute on Aging Publications

Introduction: Oral cancer is a serious health problem with an increasing incidence worldwide. Researchers have studied the potential anti-cancerous action of vitamin D and its association with several cancers including oral cancer. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize the existing literature on the role of vitamin D on oral cancer. Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted using the framework developed by Arkey and O’Malley and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Nine databases were searched for peer-reviewed human studies published in English that either investigated the association of vitamin D with, or its impact on either the …

Development Of A Multifactorial Virtual Fall Prevention Tool For Community Dwelling Older Women, Eduardo Gutierrez, Jacob James Nogra, Carol Sparks, Bradley Voels

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Falls are the leading causes of injury-related death in adults over the age of 65, with women sustaining more than twice the rate of fall-related fractures as men. Reduced access to in-person falls prevention programs during the COVID-19 pandemic created a need for a user-friendly guide to existing online fall prevention resources targeted at this vulnerable population. The first aim of this study was to create and make widely available a website with evidence-based resources that address a range of modifiable fall risk factors, and the second was to test its feasibility in a convenience sample of older women. The …

Nutritional Ecology Of The Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma), Jason Ortega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional ecology aims to understand the factors that shape the diets of animals, how these ingested meals are processed, and how the assimilated nutrients are used to shape an organism’s interactions with its environment. As environmental parameters are altered due to anthropogenic changes, the availability and quality of prey may be altered. The alteration of the nutritional landscape can be devastating to nutritional specialists, yet generalist predators may be able to cope with these changes. The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) is a unique semiaquatic pitviper that can both forage along the land-water interface and in upland habitat when faced …

Role Of Carbohydrate Source As Part Of A Higher Protein Diet On Markers Of Metabolic Syndrome, Ada-Miette Josephine Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has become a major health crisis in the United States and across the globe [1]. Recent findings suggest that approximately 50% of U.S. adults will have obesity and 25% will have severe obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2) by the year 2030 [2]. Obesity-related cardiometabolic dysfunction is a significant public health concern [3, 4]. As rates of obesity increase, so too does prevalence of the metabolic syndrome [5]. In the United States, incidence of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increasing, with approximately one in three adults qualifying for a diagnosis [6, 7]. MetS is a grouping of cardiometabolic risk factors …

Validation Of The Arabic Version Of The Food Safety And Hygiene Questionnaire Among Nutrition Student, Nada El Darra, Dina Cheaib, Leila Itani

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

There is shortage of data on food safety knowledge and practices among Lebanese food handlers due to the lack of a reliable tool. The aim of the current study is to determine the reliability as well as the validity of an adopted Arabic version of the Osaili et al (2013) food safety questionnaire. Translation and back translation and testing equivalence were done using standard accepted procedures. A total of 110 undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics students completed the questionnaire consisting of five subscales that covers major food safety concepts including personal hygiene, safe storage, cross contamination prevention, knowledge of health problems …

Dietary Determinants Of Stunting And Underweight In Under- Five Years Children In Pengasinan Health Center's (Puskesmas) Working Area, Depok, West Java, Muthia Syifa Rahmadina, Ratih Qamara Dewi, Arif Hidayat, Satria Yudistira, Fadila Wirawan

Indonesian Journal of Public Health Nutrition (IJPHN)

Stunting and underweight are public health problems, especially in under-five children. This study aims to explore the dietary determinants of stunting and underweight. Participants were 52 under-five children who visited Posyandu in Pengasinan and Bedahan, Depok. Body weight for age z-score (WAZ) and height for age z-score (HAZ) were measured with standardized measurement tools by trained operators. Questionnaires were administered to determine sociodemographic, maternal, and child health history, sanitation, disease history, and exclusive breastfeeding history. Data on food intake was obtained through the semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-hour recall. There was a significant correlation between the mother’s income with …

The Impact Of Nutrition On The Mental And Physical Health Of Young Adults, Dareena El-Far

WRIT: Journal of First-Year Writing

Upon close examination by nutritional professionals, concern has arisen regarding the typical contents of a young adult diet. In terms of the rate at which young adults choose to consume nutritionally-dense food items, the rate at which nutrition-deficient junk food items are chosen over the former is significantly higher. Among further examinations of this issue by researchers, it has become evident that the nutritional decisions made by young adults are increasingly associated with several social, commercial, mental, educational, and economic influences. As a consequence of these factors, research has uncovered a connection between the consumption of a poor diet and …

Wellness Review 2022, Part 2, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Similar to prior reviews, the Journal of Wellness editors searched the literature from the second half of 2022 for an interesting and impactful selection of publications on wellness in healthcare professionals.

Methods: Editors conducted a standard keyword search in Pubmed, focusing chiefly on large journals, interventional trials, and other prospective research. We included papers published between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

Literature in Review: Finding several hundred publications, we excluded editorials, reviews, and some smaller, less generalizable papers. A final 25 significant studies focusing on wellness in medical professionals were sorted into the following categories: logistics, creativity …

Association Between Buprenorphine Use And Weight Gain In Pregnancy, Olivia Knoll Bs, Kaley H. Hankins Bs, Kara Weishaar Md, Martin Olsen Md

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Many pregnant women in the Appalachian Highlands region utilize buprenorphine as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. This treatment is a tool used by medical teams to minimize patients’ drug cravings and optimize chances for a healthy pregnancy. Providers in our region have posited a relationship between MAT use and poor pregnancy weight gain based on clinical experience and observation. Appropriate weight gain in pregnancy is a critical determinant of pregnancy health; without it, pregnant mothers will possibly need nutritional supplementation. Therefore, understanding the association between buprenorphine use and weight gain may contribute to healthier pregnancies.

In order to …

Accessibility Of On-Campus Food Pantries: A Comparative Review, Jayden Parrott

Honors Projects

This project explores ways in which food pantries across Ohio college campuses are accommodating for those with food restrictions such as food allergies, religious diets, or personal choice (vegan/vegetarian). Food insecurity is a widespread issue that affects many Americans. College students especially bear the burden of this issue. Food pantries are a common institution to combat food insecurity, and these work for many of the individuals that use them. Those with special dietary needs, however, may find more difficulty when accessing these resources. Having a food allergy or being on a religious or personal diet may impact how you can …

How Lifestyle Implementations Affect The Health Of Obese Women Compared To Women Who Are Not Obese, Chloe Hensley, Callie Marshall, Adela Robles, Adrianna Winseman

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Obesity is a major risk factor for many health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is anticipated that the prevalence of obesity in the United States will grow as time passes. The objective of this study is to compare the health of obese women who engage in regular exercise to that of nonobese women. This literature review is drawn from eight library-based research articles at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The search engine covers topics such as obesity, postmenopausal women, physical activity, nutrition, health, fitness, and lifestyle. Taking nutritional supplements and increased physical exercise minimizes the likelihood of health …

The Rising Rates Of Pediatric Health Conditions Due To Lack Of Nutrition Education, Amanda Healy

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Statistics show that there is an increase in childhood health conditions related to nutrition. Throughout the United States, the rates of childhood obesity have drastically increased along with the rates of type two diabetes. There is correlation between these two chronic problems in pediatric patients, but not all pediatrics diagnosed with DM2 are obese. Furthermore, there is a correlation between this increase of obesity/DM2 and the lack of nutrition education in schools. The public school system in the United States does not have the funding to provide adequate nutrition education to the children which is leading to substantial health consequences. …

Comparative Nutritional Assessment And Metabolomics Of A Wrky Rice Mutant With Enhanced Germination Rates, Santiago Bataller, Anne J. Villacastin, Qingxi J. Shen, Christine Bergman

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Rice is the primary staple food for half the world’s population. Climate change challenges and food insecurity supports the need for rice with agronomically advantageous traits. We report on a transposon insertional rice mutant with enhanced germination rates. This trait is advantageous for rice growth in limited water regions and to reduce yield constraints caused by weed and bird competition. Evaluations of vital nutritional components, compositional analysis, and comparative metabolomics on threshed grain samples are performed, as these assays are those used to assess the safety of foods from genetically modified crops. Compared with the wild type (cv. Nipponbare), oswrky71 …

Freestyle: A Guide To Making Swimming Nutrition Simple, Megan Wills

Undergraduate Theses

Nutrition plays a critical role in the performance of an athlete. Although academic research surrounding the topic has increased, there is a disproportionate increase in materials created for the athletes themselves. Regarding competitive swimming, the scope of athlete-friendly instructional materials is even more limited. Therefore, there is an inherent disconnect between the academic research on the topic of competitive swimming nutrition and the athletes who need the information. The purpose of this project is to bridge the gap between the research and the content accessible for athletes themselves. Using an interpretive and simplistic approach, the available academic research was used …

Assessing The Nutritional Value Of Dubia Roaches (Blaptica Dubia) As A Feeder Insect In Reptiles, Elise Barras

LSU Master's Theses

Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia) have emerged on the market as a high protein and low-fat alternative to other feeder insects for captive reptiles. However, much like other insects, dubia roaches naturally have an inverse calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio. Offering insects to reptiles that are deficient in calcium can lead to nutritional disease (e.g., nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism). For dubia roaches to be a valuable feeder insect, their Ca:P ratio must be corrected. Several studies have assessed their nutritional composition, but no studies have manipulated the calcium content of these insects. Using a high calcium (8.3% calcium, dry matter) …

Habits For Health: A Holistic Approach To Women's Well-Being, Katelyn Helms

OTD Capstone Projects

The New Beginnings Center is a nonprofit organization that offers a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle including instruction regarding nutrition and exercise training. They offer a 12-week program for women of all backgrounds 18+ that empowers women through fitness and lifestyle changes. They have also recently started a program called Iron souls which offers the same education and empowerment for teenagers. The objective for this project was to provide the most updated review of literature regarding the interrelationship between hormones and health. This included how reproductive hormones influenced energy levels, losing weight, and building muscle. Additionally, the relationship between …

Developing A Pediatric Weight Management Program In Primary Care, Alyssa Bosse

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The practicum was completed at Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians (COPC), a large group of physician owned primary care practices. COPC would like to start a program for pediatric weight management utilizing their three pediatric Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). The first step was collecting data to see any improvements that are needed from the current nutrition program. The second step was reviewing the literature on pediatric weight management to ensure the new program is evidenced-based. All steps were evaluated by COPC leadership and collaborated with internal company resources.

Nutritional Management: Head And Neck Cancer, Christina Eagle

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Nutritional management in head and neck cancer patients will help to promote treatment compliance and reduction of treatment-related co-morbidities.

The Exceptional European Experience: An Analysis Of Education Abroad's Impact On College Students And The Field Of Nutrition And Dietetics, Mckenna Moore

Honors Theses

Education abroad has become a very popular avenue over the past century for college students from the United States to be immersed in a culture different from their own and experience significant growth, personally and professionally. Italy is a country that has a culture different from that of America and the contrast becomes even more evident after time abroad. United States citizens desire immediate satisfaction and this desire is accompanied through services such as drive-thrus, delivery services, and online shopping. Americans also often revolve their food experience around quantity and speed at which it is served. Italians, on the other …

A Process For Converting An In-Person Training To Increase Church Capacity To Implement Physical Activity And Healthy Eating Practices And Policies To An Online Format, Sara Wilcox Phd, Ruth P. Saunders Ph.D., Jessica Stucker, Andrew T. Kaczynski Ph.D., Kelsey R. Day, Deborah Kinnard, Lindsay Decker, John A. Bernhart Ph.D., Mph, Ches

Faculty Publications

The implementation of evidence-based public health programs into practice is critical for improving health, but trainings for organizational change agents are often not scalable. To describe the process of converting a training that targets faith-based organizational capacity development from an in-person to an online format. We engaged in an iterative process to convert the training delivery mode from in-person to online that included assessing stakeholder support, consulting the literature on best practices, seeking a design team, consolidating content, designing engaging lessons, and building an online site. Feedback from end-users and other audiences was incorporated throughout. Pilot participants with characteristics like …

Changes In Nigeria’S Enabling Environment For Nutrition From 2008 To 2019 And Challenges For Reducing Malnutrition, Olutayo Adeyemi, Mara Van Den Bold, Nicholas Nisbett, Namukolo Covic

Student Publications [Scholarly]

Key 2025 global nutrition targets are unlikely to be met at current rates of progress. Although actions necessary to reduce undernutrition are already mostly known, knowledge gaps remain about how to implement these actions in contextually appropriate ways, and at scales commensurate with the magnitude of the problem. This study describes the nutrition enabling environment in Nigeria, a country that contributes significantly to the global undernutrition burden, and identifies potential entry points for improving the enabling environment that could facilitate implementation and scale-up of essential intervention coverage. Study data were obtained from two sources: content analysis of 48 policies/strategies from …