Nutrition Commons^™

Your Health, Your Choice: Pre-Teens Guide For A Healthy Life, University Of New England Applied Nutrition Program

All Student-Created Educational Resources

This handout informs pre-teens and their families on how to understand individual food choices and create healthier defaults for optimal nutrition

Healthy Defaults For Children, Tara Murray

All Student-Created Educational Resources

This handout informs children and their parents on what a healthy default is and some tips on achieving it. Kid friendly recipes are included to try as well.

Rejection Of African Indigenous Food: The Case Of Rwanda, Eugene Baraka

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Rwanda has one of the highest stunting rates among children globally, and malnutrition remains one of the most pressing public health issues. Lack of diversified diets, due to colonialization and nutrition transition, is the leading cause of the double burden of malnutrition in the country where the progress to reduce undernutrition is slow and obesity rates are rapidly rising. Consumption of indigenous foods has proven to diversify diets, but very few studies have been conducted to assess which ones are available for consumption in Rwanda. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability and use of indigenous foods …

Purification And Functional Characterization Of The Iron-Responsive Transcription Factor Aft1 From C. Glabrata, Jade Ikahihifo-Bender

Senior Theses

Due to its unique ability to serve as both an electron donor and acceptor, iron is utilized as a co-factor for many biological processes, including electron transfer, oxygen binding, and vitamin synthesis. Iron is also a key factor during fungal infections as the human host and invading pathogens battle over limited iron pools. The primary iron-responsive transcription factor Aft1 in the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata responds to iron deficiency by activating expression of iron acquisition genes. However, the mechanisms for sensing intracellular iron levels and regulating Aft1 activity in response to iron are unknown. The C. glabrata iron regulation …

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 …

The Importance Of Nutrition And Preventing Malnutrition In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Booklet, Sophie Johnson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Over years of studying nutrition science and gerontology, there was very little information in classes that combined these two important topics. Older adults are often classified as those above the age of 65 years old. There is a growing number of older adults in the United States, which increases the need for information on how nutrition and aging are interlaced. As humans age, multiple factors can impact nutrition. Nutrition involves consuming the proper amount of nutrients to maintain body function. There are physiological, physical, socioeconomic and medication factors that can all influence nutrition status. It is important to be aware …

Meal-Induced Symptoms In Children With Dyspepsia-Relationships To Sex And The Presence Of Gastroparesis, Liz Febo-Rodriguez, Bruno P Chumpitazi, Salma Musaad, Andrew C Sher, Robert J Shulman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that in children with dyspepsia, prospective symptom severity following ingestion of a meal would correlate with percent gastric retention, and those ultimately diagnosed with gastroparesis would report worse symptoms.

Study design: Prospective, single-center study with 104 children with dyspepsia completing a prospective dyspepsia symptom questionnaire before and after eating a standardized Tougas meal during gastric emptying scintigraphy. Main outcomes included correlation between gastric retention and symptoms and comparison of symptom severity between those with and without gastroparesis.

Results: Fifty-two children (50%) had gastroparesis (gastroparesis: 12.5 ± 2.9 years, 65% female; nongastroparesis: 13.0 ± 2.9 years, …

Association Of Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity With Bone Mass And Osteoporosis Risk In Korean Women: Analysis Of The Korea National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2011, Donghyun Kim, Anna Han, Yongsoon Park

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Antioxidant intake has been suggested to be associated with a reduced osteoporosis risk, but the effect of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on bone health and the risk of osteoporosis remains unclear. We aimed to assess the hypothesis that dietary TAC is positively associated with bone mass and negatively related to the risk of osteoporosis in Korean women. This cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Dietary TAC was estimated using task automation and an algorithm with 24-h recall data. In total, 8230 pre-and postmenopausal women were divided into four groups according …

Blood Glucose As A Predictor Of Resting Lactate, Hrpr, And Hra As Measured By Method Cra, Sean Pavlick

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine fasted blood glucose as a predictor of lactate levels measured by Method CRA. Method: Participants and data for the present study were collected by employees of an orthopedic rehabilitation center in Bloomington, Illinois. Participants recruited for the study followed the Method CRA upright cycle testing protocol. Fasted blood glucose, resting lactate, and heart rate measurements at Prime (2 mmol/L) and Anaerobic (4 mmol/L) were recorded. Blood was sampled every three minutes during exercise testing. The total sample size of 35 was examined as well as two subgroups, BMI > 30 group and …

Strategies For Change: Social Support, Erin Howie

Diet, Food, Exercise, and Nutrition (D-FEND)

What is Social Support?

Different types of social support.

Tips to improve our social network.

Perceptions Of Residents Living In A Food Desert On The Impact Of A Community-Supported Agriculture Pilot Program, Jessica Thome

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine perspectives on food access among a low-income, food desert community through participation in a grant funded CSA program.Design: Healthy Eating Program is a pilot program assessing the effect of a CSA intervention on health among residents living in a food desert. Participants were surveyed through an initial survey and final survey with questions regarding perceived health status and daily food stressors. Data was collected through Qualtrics and analyzed using SPSS. Setting: Low-income, food desert community residing in the Westside of Bloomington, Illinois. Participants: Forty participants 18 years or older, low-income and …

An Arabidopsis Oxalyl-Coa Decarboxylase, Atoxc, Is Important For Oxalate Catabolism In Plants, Justin Foster, Ninghui Cheng, Vincent Paris, Lingfei Wang, Jin Wang, Xiaoqiang Wang, Paul A Nakata

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Considering the widespread occurrence of oxalate in nature and its broad impact on a host of organisms, it is surprising that so little is known about the turnover of this important acid. In plants, oxalate oxidase is the most well-studied enzyme capable of degrading oxalate, but not all plants possess this activity. Recently, acyl-activating enzyme 3 (AAE3), encoding an oxalyl-CoA synthetase, was identified in Arabidopsis. This enzyme has been proposed to catalyze the first step in an alternative pathway of oxalate degradation. Since this initial discovery, this enzyme and proposed pathway have been found to be important to other plants …

The Effect Of Dietary Fiber On Epigenetic Regulation Of Gene Expression In Hemodialysis Patients, Isabelle Strack

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: More than 2/3 of those with kidney failure use hemodialysis as a treatment option. The purpose of this pilot study is to increase the understanding of the epigenetic changes that occur in hemodialysis patients through dietary fiber intake. Design and Methods: Gene expression through epigenetic changes of dietary fiber intake and soluble fiber intake were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Data was collected from questionnaires and blood samples (n=20). Block Dialysis Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to calculate dietary fiber intake. Blood analysis counted the top 100 most prevalent microRNAs (miRNA). Pearson r correlation was used to determine level …

Exploring The Impact Of Utilizing Real Patients During Nutrition Counseling Training, Ashlyn R. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the educational advantages real patients can offer dietetic students in nutrition counseling training. In addition, this study observed the impact of training with real patients on dietetic students' nutrition counseling confidence. Six dietetic students were purposefully selected to participate in semi-structured individual interviews. Students expressed their opinions and experiences regarding their nutrition counseling training sessions with both simulated and real patients. Each interview was audio-recorded and later transcribed verbatim. Using a grounded theory approach, key themes were identified from the data. Findings from this study indicated that practicing nutrition counseling with real …

Associations Of Dietary Patterns And Nutrients With Glycated Hemoglobin In Participants With And Without Type 1 Diabetes, Arpita Basu, Amy C. Alman, Janet K. Snell-Bergeon

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Background: Diet has been associated with poor glycemic control in diabetes. Few studies have examined this association in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), who are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes. Methods: We report data from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from a coronary artery calcification in type 1 diabetes (CACTI) study (n = 1257; T1D: n = 568; non-diabetic controls: n = 689) collected between the years 2000 and 2002. Participants completed a validated food frequency questionnaire, a physical examination, and biochemical analyses. Dietary patterns based on variations in food group intake were created …

Strategies For Change: Mindfulness, Ed Mink

Diet, Food, Exercise, and Nutrition (D-FEND)

Ed Mink will share mindfulness strategies and take everyone through a mindfulness session.

Intrauterine Transfer Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Mother–Infant Dyads As Analyzed At Time Of Delivery, Vanessa Woodard, Melissa Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Maranda Thompson, Corrine Hanson, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Maheswari Mukherjee, Ana Yuil-Valdes, Tara M. Nordgren, Arzu Ulu, Kristina Harris Jackson, Ann Anderson-Berry

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for fetal development, and intrauterine transfer is the only supply of PUFAs to the fetus. The prevailing theory of gestational nutrient transfer is that certain nutrients (including PUFAs) may have prioritized transport across the placenta. Numerous studies have identified correlations between maternal and infant fatty acid concentrations; however, little is known about what role maternal PUFA status may play in differential intrauterine nutrient transfer. Twenty mother–infant dyads were enrolled at delivery for collection of maternal and umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue samples. Plasma concentrations of PUFAs were assessed using gas chromatography (GC‐FID). Intrauterine …

Risk Of Low Energy Availability In National And International Level Paralympic Athletes: An Exploratory Investigation, Kelly Pritchett, Alicia Difolco, Savannah Glasgow, Robert Pritchett, Katy Williams, Trent Stellingwerff, Patricia Roney, Susannah Scaroni, Elizabeth Broad

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the symptoms of low energy availability (LEA) and risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) symptoms in para-athletes using a multi-parameter approach. (2) Methods: National level para-athletes (n = 9 males, n = 9 females) completed 7-day food and activity logs to quantify energy availability (EA), the LEA in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to assess bone mineral density (BMD), and hormonal blood spot testing. (3) Results: Based on EA calculations, no athlete was at risk for LEA (females < 30 kcal·kg⁻¹ FFM·day⁻¹; and males …

Stakeholder Perspectives And Sustainability Of An Integrated Care Model For The Prevention And Management Of Obesity: The Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (Cord) Project, Rebecca E Lee, Nathan H Parker, Allen M Hallett, Dennis Kao, Maria J Modelska, Hanadi S Rifai, Erica G Soltero, Daniel P O'Connor

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Although reliable strategies exist to promote healthy habits that reduce childhood obesity, the sustainability of these strategies remains an ongoing public health challenge. This study aimed to identify factors experienced in a large, multisite project aimed at reducing childhood obesity that might contribute to project sustainability. Hypothesized constructs underpinning sustainability included replicability, continuation of benefits, institutionalization, and community capacity. Key informants (n = 27) completed 60 min, in-depth interviews, which were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were first coded using a combined deductive and inductive approach. Four major themes emerged (with numerous subthemes): developing partnerships, challenges to the sustainability …

Project Home Hydroponic Operations For Mars Exploration, Deanna Demattio, Nick Mcguire, Ruben A. Rosa Polonia, Benjamin T. Hufendick

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This report considers the challenges NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies will face in the approaching two decades when sending astronauts on missions to Mars. The longest exploration is planned to take place in the 2030's, sending a crew of, at minimum, four astronauts to Mars for a year of research. The research conducted is assisting space exploration companies’ with ways to grow a complete diet on a planet that does not receive enough sunlight. Agriculture in enclosed and buried structures on Mars will enable astronauts to conduct extended surface exploration missions. We evaluated a deep-water culture indoor hydroponics system …

Effects Of Beer Based Marinades On The Plasmalogen Content And Composition Of Grilled Ruminant Meats, Charles F. Manful, Thu H. Pham, Natalia P. Vidal, Muhammad Nadeem, Evan Wheeler, Oludoyin A. Adigun, Oluwashina A. Ayinla, Dwayne N. Keough, Raymond H. Thomas

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Plasmalogens are important phospholipids essential for maintaining cardiovascular and brain health. Ruminant meats are excellent dietary sources of plasmalogens. Globally, grilling remains a popular technique for preparing meats. However, little is known concerning how marination affects retention and quality of plasmalogens in grilled ruminant meats. Here we present information on effect of two unfiltered beer-based marinades infused with herbs and spices on plasmalogens in grilled beef and moose meats. Although total plasmalogen contents of marinated grilled meats were lower compared to unmarinated controls, compositionally, wheat ale- and India session ale-based marinades retained higher levels of PUFA plasmalogen PC (phosphatidylcholine) and …

Food Sourcing And The Relationship To Height Of 6th To 7th Graders In Southern Ethiopia And Zambia, Fulxen Ignacio Bescansa Luers

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Zambia and Ethiopia are Sub-Saharan African countries experiencing high rates of malnutrition and stunting. This study examines food sourcing and its relationship to stunting.

Methods: Anthropometric assessment and food frequency-sourcing interviews were taken for 488 6th-7th graders in Livingstone, Zambia and Hawassa, Ethiopia. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

Results: Most students sourced food from local markets and home gardens; however Zambian students used a greater variety of sources. Those sourcing from home gardens were significantly taller.

Discussion: Home gardening provides economic and health benefits, as well as food security. A focus on preservation and use …

Strategies For Change: Behavior Change Using Self Talk, Kaitlyn Chamberlain

Diet, Food, Exercise, and Nutrition (D-FEND)

Speaker shares how self-talk can help improve our ability to meet our goals.

Eating Smart And Moving More For Head Start: A Pilot Study, Virginia C. Stage, L Suzanne Goodell, Susan Chase, Stephanie Mcdonald, Archana V. Hegde, Jocelyn Bayles, Lorelei Jones

Journal of Extension

Our study examined the relationship between improved personal health behaviors of Head Start teachers’ and the promotion of positive health behaviors in their classroom. Thirty-three Head Start teachers across 7 centers received six 30-minute nutrition education lessons. Dietary intake, physical activity, and self-efficacy for promoting positive health behaviors in the classroom were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Significant improvements were observed for dietary intake and physical activity. Self-efficacy for promoting health behaviors in the classroom did not significantly improve. Additional education is needed to improve health promotion practices. Lessons learned contributed to program refinement. Implications for Extension are discussed.

Care For Some Lunch? It’S More Than Just Food! Care, Commensality And Pedagogic Meals In Irish Primary Schools, Caroline Mcgowan

Level 3

This expository article addresses a lacuna in policy and practice literature around using primary school lunches as both a pedagogical opportunity and a space to expose children to social and cultural ‘rituals’ that model both care and food sharing as commensality. The article argues that policy literature in this space broadly tends to be concerned with a medicalised paradigm of nutrition, physical and cognitive development, and disease prevention, with scant regard for the impact that natural ‘everyday’ practices of eating and caring can have on enhancing encultured commensality, care and learning.

Nutrition And Chronic Pain, Elise Withers, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Riley Samples, Maren Wright Voss

All Current Publications

The internet is full of information about anti-inflammatory diets, foods, and supplements claiming to prevent or alleviate chronic pain. For those who struggle with chronic pain, sound dietary advice is essential to improve intake and ultimately decrease pain (Arranz et al., 2010). However, it’s important to note that research showing the impact of specific foods on health and the immune system is currently limited; therefore, these claims should be interpreted with caution (Elma et al., 2020; Harvard Health, 2018). This fact sheet will cover (1) how inflammation affects chronic pain and (2) how eating a well-balanced diet may help reduce …

Integrating Policies, Systems, And Environments (Pse) Work Into Fcs Extension Programming: Lessons Learned From A Multi-State Training, Lisa T. Washburn, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Karen L. Franck, Lauren E. Kennedy, Christopher T. Sneed

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Public health efforts have emphasized changes to policies, systems and environments (PSEs) to improve health behaviors for individuals and communities. Extension has increasingly emphasized these approaches, particularly for work of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents. In part, this emphasis on PSEs in Extension has been driven by SNAP-Ed and other federally funded initiatives, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) High Obesity Programs (HOP). However, broader adoption and implementation of PSEs at the local level has lagged in some states for various reasons. These include limited understanding about PSE interventions and how this work fits with …

Adapting A Classroom Simulation Experience To An Online Escape Room In Nutrition Education, Jenifer M. Ross, Lauri Wright, Andrea Y. Arikawa

Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Due to the COVID-19 emergency transition to remote learning, an undergraduate class in nutrition and dietetics modified a face-to-face experiential “escape room” assignment into a comparable online experience. The online assignment was structured so that students had to use knowledge and clues to move through each step of the Nutrition Care Process; students proceeded through the escape room individually until each successfully “escaped.” An important component of this assignment was the postactivity debriefing process, which took place via video conferencing in small groups. Students indicated that they were pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of the online assignment. However, analytics showed …

Prematurity Blunts The Insulin- And Amino Acid-Induced Stimulation Of Translation Initiation And Protein Synthesis In Skeletal Muscle Of Neonatal Pigs, Marko Rudar, Jane K Naberhuis, Agus Suryawan, Hanh V Nguyen, Barbara Stoll, Candace C Style, Mariatu A Verla, Oluyinka O Olutoye, Douglas G Burrin, Marta L Fiorotto, Teresa A Davis

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Extrauterine growth restriction in premature infants is largely attributed to reduced lean mass accretion and is associated with long-term morbidities. Previously, we demonstrated that prematurity blunts the feeding-induced stimulation of translation initiation signaling and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs. The objective of the current study was to determine whether the blunted feeding response is mediated by reduced responsiveness to insulin, amino acids, or both. Pigs delivered by cesarean section preterm (PT; 103 days,

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (Pfoa) Or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Pfos) And Dna Methylation In Newborn Dried Blood Spots In The Upstate Kids Cohort, Sonia L Robinson, Xuehuo Zeng, Weihua Guan, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Pauline Mendola, Diane L Putnick, Robert A Waterland, Chathura J Gunasekara, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Chongjing Gao, Erin M Bell, Edwina H Yeung

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are persistent organic pollutants which may alter prenatal development, potentially through epigenetic modifications. Prior studies examining PFOS/PFOA and DNA methylation have relatively few subjects (n < 200) and inconsistent results. We examined relations of PFOA/PFOS with DNA methylation among 597 neonates in the Upstate KIDS cohort study. PFOA/PFOS were quantified in newborn dried blood spots (DBS) using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. DNA methylation was measured using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip with DNA extracted from DBS. Robust linear regression was used to examine the associations of PFOA/PFOS with DNA methylation at individual CpG sites. Covariates included sample plate, estimated cell type, epigenetically derived ancestry, infant sex and plurality, indicators of maternal socioeconomic status, and prior pregnancy loss. In supplemental analysis, we restricted the analysis to 2242 CpG sites previously identified as Correlated Regions of Systemic Interindividual Variation (CoRSIVs) which include metastable epialleles. At FDR90th percentile was related to DNA methylation at cg15557840, near SCRT2, SRXN1; PFOS>90th percentile was related to 2 CpG sites in a sex-specific manner (cg19039925 in GVIN1 in boys and cg05754408 in ZNF26 in girls). When analysis was restricted to CoRSIVs, log-scaled, continuous PFOS concentration was related to DNA methylation at cg03278866 within PTBP1. In conclusion, there was limited evidence of an association between high concentrations of PFOA/PFOS and DNA methylation in newborn DBS in the Upstate KIDS cohort. These …