Life Sciences Commons^™

The Antioxidant Content Of Wong Lo Kat Tea, Valerie Kwong

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Wong Lo Kat (or Wanglaoji in Mandarin) is a popular soft drink containing herbal tea that is often used as a Chinese folk remedy for mild ailments. The herbs included in the drink are the following: Chinese Mesona, White Frangipani, Microcos, Chrysanthemum, Japanese Honeysuckle, Heal All, and Chinese Licorice. While there is research on the individual plants, there is limited information on the combined mixture of the herbs included in the Wong Lo Kat drink, particularly in published English literature. Antioxidant content for the individual herbs and a combined mixture of equal parts of each herb was tested using the …

Effects Of Time, Temperature, And Cooking Vessel On Antioxidant Potential, Ph, And Degrees Brix In The Processing Of Black Garlic, Victoria Gargano

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Garlic, from the allium family, is known to contain organosulfur compounds. These compounds contain antioxidants, which provide a plethora of potential health benefits. Black garlic is created by processing regular garlic at temperatures ranging between 60-90°C, with high humidity for upwards of one month. The process of making black garlic alters these components, potentially increasing the antioxidant capacity. This end product yields a garlic that is a deep black color with a sweet flavor, pungent aroma, and a soft malleable texture. Black garlic is increasing popularity within the culinary world with more products making it to market shelves. PURPOSE: To …

Calcium Intake Among Parents And Caregivers Of Children With A Milk Allergy Or Intolerance : A Comparative Analysis, Ilana Dubrovsky-Razam

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Food allergies have become a global epidemic, affecting over 10% of the general population and 8% of children worldwide. Eliminating or limiting a food group from the diet can have adverse effects on micronutrient consumption. Milk allergies, for instance, can influence the amount of calcium consumed in the diet, particularly when limiting or excluding milk/milk-containing products from the diet. As milk products tend to be a primary source of dietary calcium, a milk allergy can serve as a barrier to meeting daily calcium needs.

Previous literature has analyzed the influence parents and caregivers have on their children’s diet, however, there …

The Online Ordering Behaviors Among Participants In The Oklahoma Women, Infants, And Children Program: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Qi Zhang, Kayoung Park, Junzhou Zhang, Chuanyi Tang

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition assistance program in the United States (U.S.). Participants in the program redeem their prescribed food benefits in WIC-authorized grocery stores. Online ordering is an innovative method being pilot-tested in some stores to facilitate WIC participants’ food benefit redemption, which has become especially important in the COVID-19 pandemic. The present research aimed to examine the online ordering (OO) behaviors among 726 WIC households who adopted WIC OO in a grocery chain, XYZ (anonymous) store, in Oklahoma (OK). These households represented approximately 5% of WIC households who redeemed …

Breastfeeding Media Coverage And Beliefs During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Mexico: Implications For Breastfeeding Equity, Mireya Vilar-Compte, P. Gaitán‐Rossi, E. C. Rhodes, V. Cruz‐Villalba, R. Pérez‐Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Because breastfeeding offers short- and long- term health benefits to mothers and children, breastfeeding promotion and support is a public health priority. Evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 is not likely to be transmitted via breastmilk. Moreover, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are thought to be contained in breastmilk of mothers with history of COVID-19 infection or vaccination. WHO recommends direct breastfeeding as the preferred infant feeding option during the COVID-19 pandemic, even among women with COVID-19; but conflicting practices have been adopted, which could widen existing inequities in breastfeeding. This study aims to describe how information about breastfeeding was communicated in Mexican …

The Yearly Financing Need Of Providing Paid Maternity Leave In The Informal Sector In Indonesia, Adiatma Y. M. Siregar, Pipit Pitriyan, Donny Hardiawan, Paul Zambrano, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Ma Teruel Belismelis, Meztli Moncada, David Tamayo, Grace Carroll, Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Roger Mathisen

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: The economic cost of not breastfeeding in Indonesia is estimated at US$1.5–9.4 billion annually, the highest in South East Asia. Half of the 33.6 million working women of reproductive age (WRA) in Indonesia (15–49 years) are informal employees, meaning they are working as casual workers or they are self-employed (small scale business) and assisted by unpaid/family worker(s). No specific maternity protection entitlements are currently available for WRA working informally in Indonesia. This study aims to estimate the financing need of providing maternity leave cash transfer (MCT) for WRA working in the informal sector in Indonesia. Method: The costing methodology …

La Migración Como Determinante De La Obesidad Infantil En Estados Unidos Y Latinoamérica, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Arturo V. Bustamante, Nancy López-Olmedo, Pablo Gaitán-Ross, Jaqueline Torres, Karen E. Peterson, Graciela Teruel, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

La migración internacional tiene consecuencias económicas y en la salud. El proceso de aculturación en el país de acogida puede estar relacionado con la obesidad infan-til. Utilizamos el marco conceptual del balance energético comunitario (CEB, por sus siglas en inglés) para analizar la relación entre migración y obesidad infantil en los hogares mexicanos con migrantes internacionales. Utilizando datos longitudinales de la Encuesta Nacional de Niveles de Vida de los Hogares de México (ENNViH), exami-namos cómo influyen las redes de migrantes sobre la obesidad infantil en las comuni-dades de origen. También revisamos programas de salud binacionales que podrían ser eficaces para …

Living Environment Considerations On Obesity Prevention Behaviors And Self-Efficacy Among Chinese Americans, Doreen Liou, Jessica A. Karasik

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this study is to ascertain if the living environment (type of residential neighborhood and number of household members) will elucidate differences in obesity risk reduction behaviors and self-efficacy in Chinese Americans. A cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit participants from Los Angeles County and New York City metropolitan areas. A total of 650 adults were recruited from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Descriptive statistics were measured for 19 behaviors reflecting food intake and portion size control and items measuring self-efficacy and attitudes. T-tests were applied for the two categories of living environment. The mean age of the sample …

Implementation Of Childhood Obesity Prevention And Control Policies In The United States And Latin America: Lessons For Cross-Border Research And Practice, Rafael Perez-Escamilla, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Elizabeth Rhodes, Olga L. Sarmiento, Camila Corvalan, Rachel Sturke, Susan Vorkoper

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Progress has been made in the development and widespread implementation of effective interventions to address childhood obesity, yet important challenges remain. To understand how the United States and Latin American countries achieved success in implementing obesity policies and programs (PAPs) and identify improvement opportunities using implementation science principles. We identified three comparative case studies: (1) front-of-food package labeling (Mexico and Chile); (2) Open Streets/play streets (Colombia and the United States); and (3) the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (Brazil and the United States). Information from multiple sources (e.g., scientific and gray literature and key informant interviews) was synthesized to describe barriers, facilitators, …

The Financing Need For Expanding Paid Maternity Leave To Support Breastfeeding In The Informal Sector In The Philippines, Valerie Gilbert Ulep, Paul Zambrano, Janice Datu-Sanguyo, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Materuel Belismelis, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Grace J. Carrol, Roger Mathisen

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

In low- and middle-income countries, almost three-fourths of women in the labour force lack maternity protection. In the Philippines, current laws do not guarantee paid maternity leave to workers in the informal economy. A non-contributory maternity cash transfer to informal sector workers could be used to promote social equity and economic productivity and could provide health benefits by helping mothers meet their breastfeeding goals. The objective of the study is to provide a realistic cost estimate and to assess the financial feasibility of implementing a publicly financed, non-contributory maternity cash transfer programme to the informal sector in the Philippines. Using …

Food Insecurity Measurement And Prevalence Estimates During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey In Mexico, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Teruel, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To validate the telephone modality of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) included in three waves of a phone survey to estimate the monthly household food insecurity prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Design: We examined the reliability and internal validity of the ELCSA scale in three repeated waves of cross-sectional surveys with Rasch models. We estimated the monthly prevalence of food insecurity in the general population and in households with and without children and compared them with a national 2018 survey. We tested concurrent validity by testing associations of food insecurity with socio-economic status …

Homicide And Drug Trafficking In Impoverished Communities In Brazil, Elenice De Souza De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Da Silva, Flavio Luiz Sapori, Gabriela Gomes Cardoso

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many studies demonstrate that homicides are heavily concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods, but not all socially disadvantaged neighborhoods are hotbeds of violence. Conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study hypothesizes that the association between high rates of homicide and impoverished areas is influenced by the emergence of a specific type of street drug-dealing common to favelas (slums). The study applies econometric techniques to police data on homicides and drug arrests from 2008 to 2011, as well as 2010 Census data, to test its hypothesis. The findings provide insight into the development of crime prevention policies in areas of high social vulnerability.

How Much Can Mexican Healthcare Providers Learn About Breastfeeding Through A Semi-Virtual Training? A Propensity Score Matching Analysis, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Meztli Moncada, Diana Flores

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Mexico has shown a worrisome decrease in breastfeeding indicators, especially in the lowest socioeconomic level. Improving breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support services through workforce development is a key area of intervention. The objective of this study is to assess the influence on breastfeeding knowledge and abilities of a semi-virtual training for primary healthcare providers assisting beneficiaries of PROSPERA in Mexico, which is one of the largest conditional cash-transfer programs in the world. Methods: Two independent cross-sectional samples of healthcare providers were drawn at baseline and post-intervention in three states of Mexico. Baseline data were collected among primary physicians, registered …

Association Between Breastfeeding And Child Stunting In Mexico, Ana Paola Campos, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Summer Sherburne Hawkins

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Globally, the prevalence of child stunting has been decreasing over the past decades. How-ever, in low-and middle-income countries such as Mexico, stunting is still the most prevalent form of undernutrition affecting a large number of children in the most vulnerable conditions. Breastfeeding has been identified as one of the key affordable and modifiable maternal health behaviors protecting against child stunting. Objective: To examine the association between breastfeeding (defined as never breastfed, any breast-feeding for <6 months, and any breastfeeding for ≥6 months) and other individual-, household-, and area-level factors with child stunting (defined as length/height-for-age-z-score for sex under –2 standard deviations of the World Health Organization child growth standards’ median) in Mexico. Methods: Secondary data analysis using the 2012 Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, which allowed representativeness of rural and urban areas at national level and among 4 regions in Mexico. Our subset included data on 2,089 singleton Mexican children aged 6–35 months with information on previously identified risk and protective factors for stunting. We conducted fixed-and mixed-effects logistic regression models sequentially controlling for each level of factors. Findings: Overall, 12.3% of children were stunted and 71.1% were breastfed for ≥6 months. Any breast-feeding and being female were consistent protective factors against child stunting across all models. In contrast, child low birthweight, maternal short stature, higher number of children aged <5 years per household, and moderate to severe food insecurity were consistent risk factors for child stunting across all models. Conclusions: According to our findings, efforts to reduce child stunting in Mexico should include prenatal strategies aiming to prevent low birthweight offspring particularly among short-stature women, moderate to severe food insecure households, families with a higher number of children aged <5 years, and indigenous communities. Postnatal components should include multilevel strategies to support breastfeeding.

Effectiveness Of Individual Nutrition Education Compared To Group Education, In Improving Anthropometric And Biochemical Indices Among Hypertensive Adults With Excessive Body Weight: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Danuta Gajewska, Alicja Kucharska, Marcin Kozak, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Joanna Niegowska

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: The study aims to compare the effectiveness of individual and group nutrition education methods in improving key anthropometric and biochemical markers in drug-treated, overweight-obese hypertensive adults. Methods: The randomized trial included 170 patients with pharmacologically well-controlled primary hypertension and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m². For six months, the patients received six sessions, either one-to-one individual nutrition education (IE, n = 89) or group education (GE, n= 81), developed by dietitians. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, and fasting measures of biochemical parameters were obtained at baseline and after six months of intervention. Results: 150 patients completed the …

Critical Review Of Theory Use In Breastfeeding Interventions, Yeon Bai, Soyoung Lee, Kaitlin Overgaard

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Numerous efforts to promote breastfeeding resulted in a steady increase in the rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Increasing numbers of breastfeeding interventions are focused on breastfeeding maintenance and exclusivity and based on behavioral theories. Few studies critically analyzed the use of theories in breastfeeding intervention development and evaluation. Research aim: The aim of this critical review was to examine the existing literature about breastfeeding intervention, and investigate the role of theory in its development, implementation, and evaluation to provide future directions and implications for breastfeeding interventions. Methods: This critical review examined the existing breastfeeding intervention studies that used …

Infrastructures Of Taste: Rethinking Local Food Histories In Lithuania, Renata Blumberg, Diana Mincyte

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Lithuania hosts a diversity of places that offer consumers a taste of local food, which appear to mirror the recent popularity of local and alternative food initiatives globally. In this paper we show that the proliferation of local foods in the region is not a novel phenomenon, nor is it solely a manifestation of taste preferences or identities associated with food. Drawing on the growing scholarly work on the role of infrastructures in mediating social, economic and political relations, we conceptualize the taste for local food as embedded in broader networks and reproduced through material facilities. To advance this argument, …

Chemical Changes In Almonds Throughout Storage: Modeling The Effects Of Common Industry Practices, Daniel R. Parrish, Ronald B. Pegg, William L. Kerr, Ruthann B. Swanson, Guangwei Huang, Adrian Kerrihard

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Further investigations of almond degradation under typical industrial storage conditions from a quantitative perspective are warranted. This study modeled effects of packaging, temperature (TEMP), relative humidity (RH) and roasting on chemical attributes of almonds stored according to common industry practices throughout 16 months. Roasted samples were stored in high-barrier bags (HBB) or polypropylene bags (PPB) at multiple combinations of TEMP and RH. Raw samples were held in unlined cardboard cartons (UC) or PPB under the same conditions. Almonds were assessed bimonthly for oxidation products, free fatty acids, moisture content and water activity. Results indicated roasting almonds improved quality preservation. Models …

Emotional Experience In Parents Of Children With Zellweger Spectrum Disorders: A Qualitative Study, Mousumi Bose, Meena Mahadevan, Dana R. Schules, Rory K. Coleman, Kelly M. Gawron, Melissa B. Gamble, Jean Baptiste Roullet, K. Michael Gibson, William B. Rizzo

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSDs) are rare, debilitating genetic diseases of peroxisome biogenesis that require constant management and lifelong care. Nevertheless, the experience of family caregivers for children diagnosed with ZSD is not well understood. In this study, we sought to characterize the emotional experience of ZSD family caregivers. Three 90-min focus groups were conducted with thirty-seven parents (25 mothers and 12 fathers) of children with ZSD during a family advocacy conference. Focus groups were arranged by age of proband (Group 1: 0–4 years, Group 2: 5–10 years, Group 3: >11 years). Audio recordings of focus groups were transcribed and analyzed …

Costing A Maternity Leave Cash Transfer To Support Breastfeeding Among Informally Employed Mexican Women, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Teruel, Diana Flores, Grace J. Carroll, Gabriela S. Buccini, Rafael Pe ́Rez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Investing in maternity protection for working women is an important social equity mechanism. Addressing the maternity leave needs of women employed in the informal sector economy should be a priority as more than half of women in Latin America, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are employed in this sector.

Objective: To develop a costing methodology framework to assess the financial feasibility, at the national level, of implementing a maternity cash transfer for informally employed women.

Methods: A World Bank costing methodology was adapted for estimating the financial need to establish a maternity cash transfer benefit. The methodology estimates the …

Negotiating Trans-Ethno Space: An Inductive Investigation Of Kimchi's Ability To Bound Korean-American Transnational Identity, Charles Feldman, Yeon Bai, Ki Keys, Dana Schules

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

It has been suggested that the linkages among the sensory, memorial and social aspects of culinary symbolism for transnationals are pronounced by particular food preparations. By using direct evidence, the present investigation tests this postulate by seeking to understand the connectivity of kimchi to Korean-American identity and if so, how this functions above and below the surface. Five focus groups were conducted comprised of 35 Korean-American adults. The research was designed around a grounded theory approach with an open-ended grand tour question: How does kimchi affect your sense of identity? Seven themes were uncovered: Recreating Memories – Collectivity, Connectivity and …

Reparation Ecologies: Regimes Of Repair In Populist Agroecology, Kirsten Valentine Cadieux, Stephen Carpenter, Alex Liebman, Renata Blumberg, Bhaskar Upadhyay

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Amidst the backdrop of attention to populism in general, it is instructive to understand populism through social movements focused on food and agriculture. Agrarian populism is particularly salient in agrifood movements. Agroecology has been widely identified as a domain of populist claims on environmental and social governance surrounding agricultural–ecological and political–economic systems. As authoritarian populist leaders gain power throughout the world at a time of expanding economic globalization and contingent socioecological crises, contests over populism in agrifood regimes can highlight current dynamics relevant for formative evaluation of alternative political agroecology strategies and of populist environmental governance more broadly. Can populism …

An Iterative Process For Training Design And Implementation Increased Health Workers' Knowledge For Taking Nutrition Behavior Change To Scale, Wendy Gonzalez, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Armando García-Guerra, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Alejandría Villa De La Vega, Laura Quezada, Cynthia Rosas, Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes, Amira Hernández

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The shortage of skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers is a major barrier to scaling up nutrition interventions and services. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the process for developing and implementing a training of health personnel for the delivery of the Integrated Strategy for Attention to Nutrition (EsIAN), an evidence-based strategy for promoting infant and young child feeding through primary health care in Mexico. The specific objective is to provide a case study and highlight challenges, as well as elements to successfully mitigate these, and discuss potential applications of findings beyond the Mexican context. Methods: The …

Global Sustainability That Respects Cultural Diversity & Individual Health Needs, Meriterese Racanelli

Sustainability Seminar Series

The USA Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health have classified excessive sodium consumption, high blood pressure and diabetes as national health epidemics across various ethnic cultures. The United Nations and other countries classify these as Global Epidemics. Interestingly,some ways to help fix this national and global health crisis can be found in the balance of sustainable environmentally-friendly agriculture, green technologies, and cultural competencies. Learn how sustainability studies, research, and jobs can still respect an individual’s ethnic heritage, culture, and nutritional health needs, while improving the community health at large... from local to global. Sustainability can help us …

Dietary Acculturation Of Obesity Risk Reduction Behaviors In Chinese Americans, Doreen Liou, Kathleen Bauer, Emily Fowler

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Increasing rates of obesity among successive generations occur among Chinese Americans. This cross-sectional survey measured obesity risk reduction behaviors and degree of acculturation among a convenience sample of 203 Chinese Americans living in Los Angeles, California. Asian-identified participants were most likely to follow traditional healthful Chinese food patterns, and Western-identified individuals were more apt to engage in leisure physical activity. Individuals categorized as bicultural were prone to use limited amounts of fats or oils when preparing foods. Health professionals and educators working with Chinese Americans need to consider the impact of acculturation affecting the adoption of obesity prevention behaviors.

Impact Of A School-Based Culinary Nutrition Education Program On Vegetable Consumption Behavior, Intention, And Personal Factors Among Korean Second-Graders, Yeon Bai, Young Hee Kim, Young Hee Han, Taisun Hyun

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Veggiecation was developed to improve children’s vegetable consumption through classroom lecture and cooking activities. In this study, we explored potential determinants of vegetable consumption behavior and intention, and examined the impact of Veggiecation on vegetable consumption behavior, intention and personal factors among Korean children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The 4-week Veggiecation program was implemented for second-graders in South Korea (35 children in the intervention group, 36 in the control group). We identified personal and environmental factors influencing vegetable consumption behavior and intention using multiple regression analyses. Consumption behavior, intention and, personal factors such as preference, attitude, and self-efficacy were compared between the …

Characterization Of The Volatile Compounds In Raw And Roasted Georgia Pecans By Hs-Spme-Gc-Ms, Yi Gong, Adrian Kerrihard, Ronald B. Pegg

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Volatile compounds are responsible for the characteristic aroma of raw and roasted pecans. Yet, much is unknown about the specific effects of roasting on pecan volatiles. In this study, the volatiles of raw “Desirable” pecans from Georgia and 3 roasted pecan samples (175 °C for 5, 10, and 15 min) were determined by HS-SPME coupled to GC-MS using stable deuterium-labeled volatiles as internal standards for quantitation. As expected, roasting markedly impacted the volatile profile of pecans: a total of 63 flavor-active compounds were identified in roasted samples, including 9 compounds not detected in raw “Desirable” pecans. Pyrazines, notable indicators of …

Food And Nutrition Care In Long-Term Care Facilities: Examining The Perspectives Of Frontline Workers, Renata Blumberg, Charles Feldman, Douglas Murray, Nechama Burnes, Debra Murawski

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Malnutrition in older adults residing in long-term care facilities continues to be a problem in the United States. Existing research has identified a list of possible contributing factors, including staffing problems. Few studies on food and nutrition care have attempted to gain the perspectives of nursing or dietary aides (henceforth, aides), the frontline staff who work most closely with the residents of long-term care facilities. The current study takes a qualitative approach grounded in a theoretical perspective based on Total Quality Management (TQM) to increase understanding of the interpersonal and management practices that affect resident wellbeing, health, and nutrition. Four …

A Convergent Mixed-Methods Exploration Of The Effects Of Community-Engaged Coursework On Graduate Student Learning, Lauren Dinour, Jacalyn Szaro, Renata Blumberg, Mousumi Bose

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To examine the impact of a community-engaged assignment on graduate student learning in the nutritional sciences. Design: Convergent mixed-methods design with parallel data collection and terminal merging of data. Data were composed of grant proposals, reflection papers, and informal course evaluations from 2 semesters of the same course. Fall students wrote proposals on behalf of a community partner whereas spring students wrote fictitious grants to improve nutrition on their campus. Setting: A large public university in northeastern US. Participants: Students enrolled in the fall (n = 19) or spring (n = 14) semester of the same graduate nutrition course. …

Using A Model To Design Activity-Based Educational Experiences To Improve Cultural Competency Among Graduate Students, Kathleen D. Bauer, Yeon Bai

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

To improve the cultural competency of 34 students participating in graduate nutrition counseling classes, the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care Services was used to design, implement, and evaluate counseling classes. Each assignment and activity addressed one or more of the five constructs of the model, i.e., knowledge, skill, desire, encounters, and awareness. A repeated measure ANOVA evaluated pre- and post-test cultural competence scores (Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals). The overall cultural competence score significantly improved (p < 0.001) from “culturally aware” (68.7 at pre-test) to “culturally competent” (78.7 at post-test). Students significantly improved (p < 0.001) in four constructs of the model including awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounter. Factor analysis indicated that course activities accounted for 83.2% and course assignments accounted for 74.6% of the total variance of cultural competence. An activity-based counseling course encouraging self-evaluation and reflection and addressing Model constructs significantly improved the cultural competence of students. As class activities and assignments aligned well with the Campinha-Bacote Model constructs, the findings of this study can help guide health educators to design effective cultural competence training and education programs.