Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Protective Effects Of Anthocyanins On Differentiated Sh-Sy5y Cells, Abigail F. Lynn

Honors Program Projects

Background

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are debilitating neurodegenerative diseases that are largely thought to be exacerbated, and perhaps even caused by oxidative stress in and around neurons. Green tea is known to contain various nutrients that reduce oxidative stress. Anthocyanins are group of nutrients that are found in plants that have red, purple, or black fruit. They have been shown to directly reduce oxidative stress and may also affect the activity of enzymes such as catalase that reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can be simulated by LPS and D-galactose (DG), sugars that are commonly found on pathogens. SH-SY5Y cells are neuronal …

The Effects Of Creatine Supplementation On Muscle Synthesis And Fitness Levels In Drosophila Melanogaster Using A Model Of Muscle Atrophy, Kevin Williams

Honors Program Projects

This study examines whether an inhibited electron transport chain can be aided with supplemented creatine to make up for the challenged adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production mechanism. The electron transport chain is a series of protein complexes in the mitochondrial membrane that transfer electrons and couples this reaction with the transfer of protons across the membrane to produce ATP. The differences between male and female flies and the supplementation of creatine at a 0.15% concentration was studied. The relationship between these components was studied over the course of two 3-week trials using a fly treadmill and Drosophila. The effects of creatine …

The Association Of Stress On College Student's Food Choices, Jaici Wright

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

College students experience school-related stress that may lead to coping mechanisms that manifest into poor food choices. The purpose of this current study is to explore what types of foods are eaten when college students are experiencing school-related stress.

Methods

A quantitative design was used. An online survey was sent out to 2,800 undergraduate students at a private Midwestern university. One hundred and twenty-six usable questionnaires were returned for data analysis. Two valid and reliable questionnaires were administered online; Perceived Stress Scale assessed stress levels and the NHANES Dietary Screener evaluated foods consumed over the past month. Using Spearman’s …

The Relationship Between Breakfast Consumption And Gpa Among University Students, Sarah Baxter

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

University students are not recognizing the correlation between breakfast consumption and academic performance. It is suspected that certain health behaviors such as consistent meal skipping and busy schedules cause students to view breakfast consumption as a low priority. If university students practice certain health behaviors, such as regular breakfast consumption, they should begin to see increased focus in the classroom and recognize the benefits of this important meal.

Methods

A quantitative design was used. One validated questionnaire, The Student Health Behavior and Academic Success was administered to all undergraduate students (N=2,800) at a small Midwestern university. One hundred and …

Social Media’S Influence On College Students’ Recognition Of Inaccurate Nutrition Information, Meghan Olthoff

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Basch et al. (2018) found that 74% (n=190) of students indicated that they would often or always use the internet for health information. Nutrition literacy is an important aspect of health literacy. Health literacy is defined as the skills or ability needed to comprehend and apply nutrition or health information (Svendsen et al., 2021). Nutrition misinformation can be harmful to an individual’s wellbeing because of the fallible, misleading, and erroneous content (Wansink, 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore students’ knowledge as it pertains to the inaccurate nutritional information found within social media.

Methods

A …

Introducing Various Foods During Infancy And The Development Of Food Allergies During Toddler/Preschooler Years, Sara Digrazia

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Introduction: Children are developing food allergies that persist into their adult lives. Literature hypothesizes that introducing foods into a child’s diet late increases the risk of developing food allergies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship of introducing allergy foods within the first nine months to determine if allergen symptoms were observed by the age of two.

Methods: The FDA/CDC Global Opinion Panel Section C of the Infant Feeding Practices Survey was administered to 60 parents of children aged 2-5 participated. Twenty-two responses were returned and analyzed using a Chi-Squared Test of Independence. Parents were recruited …

The Impact Of Sports Nutrition Knowledge On The Physical Effects Of Low Energy Availability In Female Cross Country Runners., Abby Olcott, Catherine Anstrom

Student Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Learning Outcome

To understand the impact sports nutrition knowledge has on the risk for developing LEA in Female Cross Country Runners.

Background

The International Olympic Committee introduced the concept of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) to accurately encompass the condition previously known as the Female Athlete Triad. LEA is the root cause of RED-S. (Mountjoy et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to measure sports nutrition knowledge and the impact knowledge level has on the susceptibility to develop LEA in female cross country runners.

Methods

A quantitative design was used. Participants included the women’s cross country team …

Elaia 2019, Stephen Case

ELAIA

DIRECTOR'S NOTE in Volume 2

Each fall, the Honors Program at Olivet Nazarene University admits a small number of academically gifted students into its freshman class. From the moment they set foot on our campus, these women and men join a community of scholars, and together they read, reflect upon, and discuss the most important ideas of the past and present—all within a Christian fellowship. The first two years of the program involve a series of Honors courses, taught by a team of faculty and modeled on the historic “old-time college,” where small class relationships, interdisciplinary discussion, and debate prevailed. …

The Relationship Between Black Coffee Consumption And Weight Status, Amy Kaczor

ELAIA

Learning outcome To understand the relationship between the amount of black coffee consumed and Body Mass Index (BMI) in individuals 18 years and older. Background Researchers have debated the relationship between weight status and coffee consumption with conflicting results. Lee, Kim, & Kim (2017) found a positive trend exists between the amount of coffee consumed and BMI. Conversely, Grosso et al. (2015) found an inverse trend between coffee consumption and BMI. Methods Quantitative design was used. A researcher constructed questionnaire was piloted through SNAP Survey at a small Midwestern university receiving 939 complete responses. Three questions were included on the …

The Relationship Between Black Coffee Consumption And Weight Status, Amy Kaczor

Honors Program Projects

Learning Outcome: To understand the relationship between the amount of black coffee consumed and Body Mass Index (BMI) in individuals 18 years and older.

Background: Researchers have debated the relationship between weight status and coffee consumption with conflicting results. Lee, Kim, & Kim (2017) found a positive trend exists between the amount of coffee consumed and BMI. Conversely, Grosso et al. (2015) found an inverse trend between coffee consumption and BMI.

Methods: Quantitative design was used. A researcher constructed questionnaire was piloted through SNAP Survey at a small Midwestern university receiving 939 complete responses. Three questions were included on …

The Relationship Between Food Allergy Reporting And Allergen Friendly Food Availability In A University Foodservice, Abigail Brummel

Student Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Food allergies grew 18% from 1997-2007 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). As the prevalence of food allergies continues to grow, college students with diagnosed food allergies are having difficulty finding allergen friendly foods in college campus food service (Food Allergy Research & Education, 2014). In order to find the relationship between food allergy communication and prevalence of allergen friendly food on a college campus, a mixed method design was used for this research study. A researcher constructed questionnaire was piloted to senior dietetic students (n=8) for question clarity. Questions were then adjusted for clarity. A convenience …

The Relationship Between Black Coffee Consumption And Weight Status In Undergraduate Students, Amy Kaczor

Scholar Week 2016 - present

In the current study, the coffee additives (such as cream, sugar, and milk) as a confounding factor are eliminated so that black coffee consumption and weight status can be studied solely. Additionally, the current study measures amount of black coffee consumed per week (considering that some do not drink coffee seven days a week) to further examine whether a statistically significant relationship exists. The purpose of the current study is to explore the relationship between black coffee consumption per week on weight status (through Body Mass Index) to measure the relationship between black coffee consumption and BMI. Based on the …

Attitude Accessiblity As A Determinant Of Object Construal And Evaluation, Alison I. Young, Russell H. Fazio

Faculty Scholarship – Psychology

Attitude accessibility, the ease with which a given attitude comes to mind, has been demonstrated to affect attention. The current experiments focus on the construal of multiply-categorizable objects. They seek to provide evidence that (a) construals toward which individuals have more accessible attitudes, i.e., those that are more attitude-evoking, are more likely to influence the evaluation of related objects and that (b) this effect of attitude accessibility on construal processes can be extended to a whole series of objects which vary along multiple dimensions. Experiment 1 provides evidence that construals whose related attitudes were made more accessible via attitude rehearsal …

To What Extent Does Posted Nutrition Information In Fast Food Restaurants Influence Consumer Food Choices?, Kelsey D. Watson

Honors Program Projects

A study of a sample (n=59) of college students at a small, liberal arts university investigated the efficacy of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010’s Section 4205, which necessitated calorie labeling on menus of all restaurants, including fast food establishments, with 20 or more locations. The control group (n=31) of students was presented with popular fast food menu items as they currently appear on the menu, without caloric content or a recommended calorie intake statement. The experimental group (n=28) was presented with the same menu with caloric content and a statement regarding suggested daily intake. Each menu …

A Review Of Health Literacy And Its Relationship To Nutrition Education, Heather Diane Gibbs, Karen Chapman-Novakofski

Faculty Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Health literacy has emerged as a focus of increasing research in the medical literature, yet it has received little attention in the nutrition literature. Because nutrition practice is an important sector of the health care environment and reduced health literacy confers known health consequences, dietitians should be equipped with an understanding of how health literacy extends to nutritional care. Identification instruments that are available fail to provide an understanding of nutrition literacy. Nutrition literacy may include knowledge of nutrition principles and nutrition skills. Additional research into the development of appropriate nutrition literacy tools and their application is needed.

The Effect Of Nutrigenomics Education On The Dietary Habits Of College Students, Martha N. Harrouff

Honors Program Projects

Nutrigenomics is a newly researched area that investigates the interplay between nutrition and genetics. Theoretically, this information could enable registered dietitians to provide personalized, tailored nutrition recommendations unique to a given individual and enable individuals to alleviate future health concerns, such as cancer and heart disease. Given the potential importance of such research, the current study investigated the behavioral response of college students to this information. Seventy-five students from a small, Midwestern liberal arts university were recruited to participate in survey research. Utilizing a true experiment design, control and experimental groups completed a pretest survey measuring current dietary habits and …

Nutrition Literacy: Foundations And Development Of An Instrument For Assessment, Heather Diane Gibbs

Faculty Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Health literacy has emerged as an area of increasing research focus in the medical literature, yet it has received little attention in the nutrition literature. Registered dietitians (RDs) should be concerned about low health literacy considering its associations with decreased knowledge of disease and management, increased hospitalizations, decreased use of preventive care services, and increased cost of health care. Thus, this research attempts to apply the concept of health literacy into the context of nutrition.

Investigation into whether RDs screen for health literacy and/or adjust teaching methods for different level learners revealed that 79.2% (n=99) of RDs surveyed (n=125) did …